Die With Your Boots On
by EddietheHead
Summary: On a mission gone south, a Marine finds himself stranded in the middle of zombie infested city. He runs into a group of high school kids and their nurse trying to survive and adds his skills to the mix. Takashi/Rei. Possible main character/OC pairing if I feel like it.
1. Chapter 1

_9:00 AM, Day 1_

In the week before they would get leave, when the anticipation rose to an almost unbearable height, orders came in that sent them into the city. It was a brisk March morning in Japan, and the draft they were receiving from their current altitude only made the wind more chilly. Dawn sunlight draped its deep orange glow across Tokonosu City, giving off a sense of serenity.  
The two Marines, who were unfortunate enough to be sitting on the sunny side of their MH-6 Little Bird transport, squinted against the sun's abusive light. Their wrap around sunglasses did little to block out the brightness.  
One of the soldiers clutched a fluttering piece of paper in his right hand, while the left was latched onto the barrel of his MK18 mod 1 assault rifle. The man had received the letter from home upon waking and had torn open the envelope in excitement. His elation evaporated quickly as he read the contents of the document. It had read:

 _Dear Lukey,_

 _Sorry for not responding sooner but I needed time to think. I had a long talk with my mom and dad this weekend and they feel it's best for the both of us if we end this. I've always been supportive of your military career, you know that. But I can't keep on pretending I'm happy with our current arrangement. I need you here more than you are and these letters and the odd phone call aren't enough. For both our sakes it's time we moved on. We can still be friends if you want and we can talk more when you come home in a week but I thought it would be fair to give you a heads up. Once again I'm sorry.  
Please stay safe,  
Ashley_

At first he had balled the letter up and chucked it into the trash as tears threatened to spill out of his eyes. He had gone to the bathroom to splash water out of his face and try to settle himself down. As he stood in front of the mirror, resisting the urge to put his fist through the glass, he began to wonder what had brought about those feelings from his girlfriend of four years. He then studied himself in the mirror and, in a moment of self pity, began criticizing his own appearance.

Lucas "Huck" Huckley was a twenty four year old white American from Arizona, standing at six feet and two inches tall with light brown hair, tucked under a black Arizona Diamondbacks hat, that was starting to get just a bit to long. His wide eyes were a bright emerald color and he had a hooked nose. His narrow mouth was surrounded by a rough five o' clock shadow, bald only in an one inch scar on his left cheek he received from shrapnel. He also had the blue letters _U.S.M.C_ self tattooed on his right bicep. His six years of service had conditioned his body into a slim but muscular figure. At first glance the young man looked solemn but once he got comfortable he was a quick-witted and funny.  
Lucas had joined the Marines right out of high school, following the footsteps of his father. Due to the length of his service he had risen to the rank of Lance Corporal. He didn't excel in any one field, his CO even commenting that he was 'terribly average', but he was obedient and dependable. Three years prior he had gotten transferred to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) stationed at Camp Hansen in Okinawa. He was put under the command of Gunnery Sergeant Mitch Adams and his _Spearheads_.

Now Lucas, or Luke as he preferred, stared unseeing through his black shaded Oakley sunglasses at the letter as the helicopter buzzed just feet above the rooftops of downtown Tokonosu City. The squad of four were on their way to extract the CEO of a pharmaceutical company in the heart of the metropolis. Finally the Lance Corporal stuffed letter into one of his pouches. He knew he should just chuck it but for some unexplainable reason, he kept it. His emerald eyes scanned the cityscape as he ignored the inane chatter coming in on his radio from the two lower ranked personnel on the team.

Suddenly a deep commanding vocalization broke through, "Alright, team, listen up," it was the voice of GySgt. Adams, "we are one minute out from the LZ. Private Trout will take point. Huck, you'll watch our six."

"We expecting trouble, sir?" came the light voice of Private Lawrence Trout. The pale kid from Missouri was the newest member of the squad. He was only nineteen and had the ego to match his age. Though his attitude could be attributed to 'short-man syndrome' as he was only five feet and five inches tall. He had his golden brown hare shaved in the traditional military style. His eyes were a hazel and he had a crooked nose from being broken too many times.

"Always expect trouble," came the cliché reply from their superior. Mitch Adams was the oldest and most experienced of the group at thirty three years old and standing at an even six feet tall. He had short rough black hair and a short goatee. The dark skinned man had dark brown eyes to match. He was from California and was widely respected throughout the 31st.

"I know what you mean, sir," interjected the fourth member of the squad, and soldier who Luke shared the bench with, Private Bruce Causey. Bruce was the tallest of the group, standing at a massive six feet six inches. Despite being only twenty eight years old, he was starting to bald and as a result he shaved his head clean. Being from Florida, his skin was tanned bronze which was offset by his pale blue eyes. Causey joined the Marines at a later age than normal but had still managed to pack on an enormous amount of muscle, adding to his intimidation factor. "Seemed like all of Hansen was on high alert this morning," he stated.

"Something big is happening," the GySgt. confirmed, "I don't know what, but they wouldn't send us on just a simple retrieval mission."

"No shit," Trout retorted, "talk about a waste of skills."

The pilot of the bird interposed, "We are approaching the drop point,"

Seconds later the helicopter touched down on the roof of a five story office building, the squad pushed themselves out of their seats and squatted in a waiting position while the bird lifted back into the air. Three of the four held their combat helmets firm on their heads against the downdraft. The fourth, Huck, didn't wear a helmet and instead waited until the bird had retreated before reaching into his back pocket and placing his Diamondbacks hat on his head.

"Breaking away," the pilot's voiced came over the radio, "be back in five."

"Roger that, Thrush," Adams called into the mic, using the pilot's call sign. He then signaled for the squad to move. Luke stood, and switched the safety off and checked to make sure the weapon was set to single fire mode. As a well trained unit they moved to and down the roof access, the only noise was their footsteps mingled with the metallic clinking of their gear.

"The VIP should be on the fifth floor in the south-east corner room," Adams explained as they exited the stairwell into the hall. The unit froze at the sight that greeted their eyes. Blood was pooled at their feet with a trail leading off down the hall and around a corner. Chairs and desks were overturned, paper strewn across the floor as signs of a struggle.

"What the fuck?" Trout blurted out.

"We need to move quickly," the sergeant ordered and once again the team moved on. More blood was smeared on the walls and across furniture, filling the team with a sense of uneasiness. The closer they got to their destination, the gore intensified but there was still no sign of a body.

 _THUMP!_

Ahead they heard the sound of something heavily impacting a hollow surface and they quickened their pace. The team rounded the corner and there stood a man in business casual attire, but what caught their eye was the fact that he was bleeding heavily from a neck wound. The man raised a hand and swung it with all of his strength at the door he was facing, causing another loud _THUMP_ to sound out. Adams tapped once on Trout's shoulder and the private stepped forward a few spaces.

"Excuse me, sir?" he called out to the bloodied figure, "I'm with the-" he stopped talking as the man turned towards him with a spine chilling groan. The man's skin looked as if it was decaying and his eyes were dead, one rolled back in his head.

"My god," Bruce exclaimed. Upon hearing the soldier's voice, the strange man lurched forward into a shambling walk, releasing another groan from his mouth.

Trout brought his M16 to bear on the man, "Sir, stop where you are," he ordered, but when the thing kept coming he shouted, "I said halt!"

Huck readied his weapon as well, centering his square holographic sight on the man's chest. The office worker ignored the instructions, it even picked up its pace, and reached out both hands towards the young private while still groaning.

"Huck, non lethal shot, now," Adams ordered.

Luke lowered the sight to the man's left thigh and fired once. The bullet ripped through flesh and muscle, tearing out the back of the leg as well, but the figure didn't fall. A collective gasp of surprise escaped the team. Luke re-centered the sight on the injured leg and fired once more. The being staggered slightly as its leg was shredded again but it still kept on coming.

"Trout, drop him!" their leader ordered.

 _Pop! Pop! Pop!_

The Missouri native fired three shots in quick succession into the man's chest, the bullets passed through the body, taking meat with them. The force of the blows paused the stranger for a brief moment, but it still didn't tumble. The unit back stepped a few feet, their disquiet could be felt on the air. Huck brought his sight up to the being's head and fired. Bits of brain rained onto the floor as the bullet exploded out the back of the skull and finally the man dropped dead.

"Jesus fucking Christ," Trout cried out, "what the fuck was that?"

Suddenly the door that the thing had been assaulting opened and an older Japanese man stepped out, his left hand clutching his right wrist as blood spilled out in between his fingers.

"Don't shoot!" he shouted, his voiced laced with a heavy accent, as four assault rifles centered on him, "I'm still man."

"Tahara Yutaka?" Adams asked and at the man's nod he continued, "I'm with the MEU. We were sent to extract you. Mind telling me what the hell happened here?"

Yutaka shook his head fervently, "I don't know," he declared, "my secretary informed me of your approach. Next thing I know everyone is screaming and running away. My assistant tried to kill me! He bit me and I ran in there," he stopped as he noticed the dead man on the ground.

"He didn't give us a choice," Adams stated as if reading his thoughts.

"He was a good friend," Yutaka said, "but I know you must do your duty," he then knelt next to his friend's corpse and muttered a phrase in Japanese.

Huck's attention was drawn by a nudge from Trout, "What did he say?" the private whispered.

"I don't know," Luke shrugged, "my Japanese is decent at best but I didn't recognize any of that."

"Ground team, this is Thrush," the pilot's voice broke the silence.

"We hear ya, Thrush," Adams responded.

"We are headed back to the LZ, it's getting hot out here,"

"Roger that, we're on our way. Let's move people."

The squad moved back towards the roof access with Yutaka in tow, but before they reached the door a young woman stepped out of another room with a higher pitched groan. She looked the same as the thing they had killed earlier, dead skin and empty eyes.

"Causey, you're up," the sergeant ordered as the team formed a diamond around the VIP.

Bruce raised his MP5, which looked like a mere toy in his mammoth hands, and fired a burst center mass. The lady jerked as the rounds tore through her but she stayed up and began her strange walk towards the team. This time Trout took the initiative and fire a single round into her head.

"What the hell is going on?" Causey asked. Just then the halls echoed with groans and a throng of the things came barreling around the corner further down.

"To the roof now!" Adams shouted, popping off a couple rounds from his M4 carbine into the crowd.

Luke was the last through the door and as he passed by he threw the door hard but one of them had made it too far into the passage way and the door slammed into it. The body was knocked backward but the door didn't latch, allowing the rest of the mob to barrel through. Huck retreated up the first flight of stairs before turning around and firing a couple of shots, which did little to slow the horde down. The things marched up the stairs faster than he anticipated, causing him to flee up the rest of the stairs taking them two at a time. He burst onto the roof, spun, and attempted to slam the door, but they were right behind him and one managed to stick its mangled arm through. Huck pushed with all of his might but he could feel himself losing the battle. Finally he gave up and took off across the roof, shaking the groping hand from his shoulder, towards his team. He could hear the chopper approaching but it was too far off yet. The Arizona man squatted next to Causey, readjusted his hat, switched his MK 18 to full auto, and raised it to join his comrades. The unit sprayed the approaching mass with round after round but they refused to fall. Suddenly from behind, the twin guns of the MH-6 spooled up and sent its payload into the crowd. The high velocity rounds tore limbs from their sockets and cut bodies in half as the blood painted the rooftop crimson. When the chopper got closer the co-pilot ceased fire as it landed. Yutaka was the first in the chopper, then the four took up their previous positions on the outside benches. Just as the remaining creatures reached them, the helicopter lifted off, pivoted, and headed off home.

Next to Huck, Bruce shielded his hands with his body as he attempted to light a cigarette, but he was shaking so bad he ended up fumbling the butt and it was swept away on the wind. Despite himself, Huck barked out a quick laugh and noticed he was trembling as well.

"What the hell was that down there?" the pilot asked.

Adams' breathless voice answered, "I haven't a fuckin' clue. I've never seen anything like that."

"Look," Bruce suddenly said and Huck followed his pointing arm, "That's the Japanese Self-Defense Force." Four black-hawk helicopters buzzed buy, close enough that they felt the turbulence through their bird.

The helicopter passed over a large gated structure and Huck found his attention drawn to one corner of the roof. He spotted three figures standing staring up at them, one of the people, a female with brown hair dressed in a green and white outfit, was waving her arms at them, obviously trying to get their attention.

"What did we just fly over?" Huck asked Yutaka as the man had put on a headset.

"Fujimi Academy," the old man responded, his voiced strained with effort, "A boarding school."

Luke turned around to examine the old man at the sound of his voice and saw that he had gone incredibly pale, and was sweating profusely.

"Gunny," Huck called to Adams, "somethings wrong with the VIP."

Adams turned into the helicopter to inspect when suddenly the old man slumped back. Mitch felt for a pulse but there was none, "He's dead," he stated in disbelief. Before he could react the old man sat straight up again and lunged at the sergeant's neck. Huck was nearly deafened at the blood curdling scream that came over his ear piece and before he could see what happened the helicopter lurched one way suddenly. Yutaka's lunge had driven Adams all the way into the cockpit, the sergeant's arms flailed in pain which knocked the stick from the pilot's hands. The chopper spun out of control then suddenly the tail collided with a radio tower. The abrupt impact tossed Bruce from his seat and he disappeared with a shout of dismay.

"Bruce!" Huck roared, "Bruce fell! He fell!"

The tail of the bird was ruined and the craft was plummeting towards an alley way as Huck held on for dear life. Suddenly the heli spun sideways and collided with two separate buildings and Luke was thrown clear. He landed heavily on a box truck, rolled down the cabin, and landed hard on the pavement, losing consciousness in the process.

 **Just a short chapter testing the waters. Others will be longer. The characters you know and love (and don't love) will appear next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

_5:00 PM, Day 1_

The sun was beginning to set, casting the sky into a deep red and orange color. Across Tokonosu City smoke stacks rose into the air to mingle with the clouds. Explosions, gun fire, screams, and sirens filled the air, replacing the normal hub bub of the city.

Luke came to with a groan of pain and he sat up rubbing his head. It took him a few moments to remember what happened and when he did he shot up to his feet, retrieving his hat in the process. At the entrance to the alleyway lay the smoldering ruin of the MH-6 helicopter. As he approached he spotted the two pilots slumped in their seats, one was crushed by a piece of debris and the other had bled out from a laceration to his neck. The Marine worked his way around the wreckage where he spotted Trout laying on his front. He dropped next to the private and rolled him over, whereupon he let out a startled yelp and back stepped a couple paces. The Missouri kid was dead, his hand clutching a piece of jagged metal protruding from his abdomen.

"Fuck," Huck whispered as he pulled the dog tags off the deceased soldier and stuffed them in one of his pockets. The VIP and sergeant were missing.

 _Their bodies must have been thrown from the force of the impact,_ Huck thought to himself. There was a sound of rocks being crushed underfoot behind him, so he pivoted and brought his rifle up. Ten feet away a bloodied and mangled walking female corpse shuffled towards him. Behind it there were a group of bodies, all heading his way.

"That's far enough," he declared to the nearest person. _Why am I still trying to talk to them?_

Upon hearing his voice the thing surged forward with sudden vigor, releasing a hiss from its blood dripping mouth. With the knowledge that he was on his own and therefore had to call his own shots, and the consequences that would come with them, he sighted on the person's chest.

 _Pop! Pop!_

Both rounds found their mark, where the heart should be but the bullets had little effect, at most pausing the thing's trek. Cursing to himself, the Arizona man then centered the sights on the head and pulled the trigger once. The undead female dropped like a marionette with its strings cut.

 _Head shots are the only thing that stops them,_ he thought. The mob of walking dead had increased their pace and were nearly on top of him. Huck knew he didn't have enough ammunition, much less the skill, to kill every single one of them before being overrun, so he made a break for a small gap in between the wreckage and the horde of blood thirsty freaks. He narrowly escaped being grabbed, one hand had managed to grab onto the sleeve of his white and pale green t-shirt he wore underneath his tactical vest. Completely lost he trotted down the sidewalk of the empty street, the sounds of the flesh eating mob fading into the distance. Up ahead he could see the large gated building they had flown over earlier.

 _The school!_ he remembered, _the JSDF_ _or police should be evacuating students, if this is happening everywhere._

The lance corporal reached the iron fencing and reached up to find a hand hold to climb. As he swung over the top, his vest caught on a spike causing him to tumble to ground. The two hundred and twenty pound man landed hard on his right side. He let out a sharp gasp of pain and clasped a hand to his bruised hip, trying to rub the pain away where he had landed on his M1911 sidearm. He rose to his feet and scanned his surroundings. He had jumped the fence into the parking lot. Teacher's cars dotted the lot and at the end parked a school bus. But what caught the Marine's attention was that the school grounds were littered with the dead, both walking and not. As he studied a nearby group he began to notice a theme in the clothing. The females wore a white sailor uniform with green trim, while the males wore all black. Luke quickly moved from car to car, keeping low and out of sight, while also making as little noise as possible. When he neared the bus his attention was drawn by shouting. From around a corner that lead to the school's entrance a group of students were sprinting towards him. He particularly took note of the two in the lead. One was a male, on the short and skinny side with unkempt black hair and brown eyes, he was swinging a blood soaked baseball bat with such ferocity that it caved in the skulls of those he hit. The other student was a female, slightly taller than the male, she had a lithe but athletic body with considerable bust. She had deep purple, long, and flowing hair with a fringe that ended in a triangular shape at the bridge of her slender nose and sky blue eyes. Despite the situation, Huck found himself entranced by her beauty. The woman took a giant leap forward and swung down hard with her wooden stick, that was shaped like a samurai sword, killing an undead male. The two suddenly stopped as they noticed their party had halted a few yards back. One of the corpses was approaching the male's unprotected back and Huck sprang into action. He lowered himself to one knee for stability and centered his rifle on the target's back.

 _Pop! Pop! Pop!_

Two of the rounds scored, the third jumped high missing his intended. The target, and many others, turned their attention on the Marine. Huck mentally slapped himself for forgetting the head shot rule. By now the student he was attempting to protect had turned, after hearing the gunshots, and incapacitated the threat that had been bearing down on him. The two leading students sprinted the rest of the way to him, the rest following shortly behind. One of the students, another slender female with sizable breasts and bright pink hair tied up in twin ponytails and pale orange eyes, was yelling at another student. The unfortunate one, a short chubby male with brown eyes behind square rimmed glasses and shoulder length black hair that had a center parting, who was carrying a nail gun with a crudely made stock simply smiled sweetly at his abuser and apologized. Next came two more females, one looked to be the same age as the others, she had auburn brown hair tied off in a single ponytail with two tufts that stuck up and bent down, giving off the appearance of antennae. She had red eyes and she too had larger than average breasts. She was carrying a broken broom handle with a sharpened pint, she wielded the weapon like a spear. The last female was an older looking lady. She had an hourglass figure with the largest breasts Huck had ever seen. She had long flowing blond hair and brown eyes. Huck noted that she wasn't wearing a school uniform either and he assumed she was a teacher.

 _What the hell do they feed them here?_ He wondered as he was nearly hypnotized by the blond's awkward running which caused her enormous bust to sway from side to said.

All but the two who had led the group piled on the bus as Huck picked his shots, aiming high in the crowd. Behind him he could hear the two students arguing on who should get on the bus first.

Huck turned his head to glare over his shoulder at them, "Both of you on the bus now!" he ordered in English. The two stood in stunned silence for a brief moment, and Huck thought that maybe they didn't understand him, then the female climbed in with the male on her heels. The Marine was about to follow when a shout from his left caught his attention. Coming off of a wide sports field nine more students came running, they were yelling for them to wait.

"We can go now," he heard a soft feminine voice call out.

Huck held up a hand, "Hold on."

From the bus he heard another female's voice speak up, it sounded like she was protesting something. Luke ignored it as he raised his rifle to help cover the new group. His rifle spat its payload into the bodies of the dead, trying to buy them time.

"On your right," a male voice called out to him and Huck turned in time to dodge a lunge from a freak. The Marine pulled out his combat knife and jammed it up into the soft part of the skull, killing it instantly. He then turned to the one who shouted the warning, it was the chubby one, and gave him a nod of appreciation. The arrival of the other students brought his attention back around and he let them board first, the last one to get on was a man, that didn't look much older than him, wearing a black pinstripe suit. He had slick black hair that curved down and seemed to cradle his narrow face. He had slim yellow eyes and wore half moon spectacles. As the man smiled at him, a chill ran down Huck's spine. Finally the Marine boarded the bus and ordered the blond to go.

"Their not humans anymore," she whispered, trying to convince herself to go through with what she was about to do, "they're not people anymore. They're not alive anymore!" she then pinned the gas to the floor and plowed into the horde of undead. The bus shook as it tossed bodies aside, Luke clutched the back of the driver seat to keep from falling, and then finally they were out on the road. As the mob thinned and the driver set the speed at a moderate pace, Huck turned back to the occupants. He did a quick head count and realized the latecomers, who had settled at the back of the bus, were one short.

 _Another casualty_ , he thought grimly. The original group that he had run into were sitting in the front most seats staring at him and he realized how out of place he much look in his tactical vest and Marine digital desert cammo pants. From his black Diamondbacks hat to his brown combat boots to his MK18 assault rifle, he was a stark contrast to the rest.

"Uh, hi," he said, suddenly self conscious of the scrutiny, "I'm Lance Corporal Lucas Huckley of the thirty first Marine Expeditionary Unit. You guys speak English? 'Cause my Japanese will only get me so far"

The male with the messy black hair glanced at his companions before speaking, "I think we all do," he stated, receiving nods from the others, "I'm Takashi Komuro, thank you for your help back there," he said and Huck shook his hand.

"No problem," the soldier replied.

Next the auburn brown haired female, who sat text to Takashi, spoke, "Rei Miyamoto," she said sharply, shooting the soldier a scowl.

"I'm Saya Takagi, group genius," the short girl with pink pigtails said, an air of smugness coated her words.

"I'm Khota Hirano," the plump student, sitting next to Saya, said shyly while smiling.

The soft innocent voice of the driver spoke next, "My name's Shizuka Marikawa, school nurse."

At last the purple haired beauty stood and bowed to Huck, "I'm Saeko Busujima," she declared, "we are fortunate to have you along with us, Huckley-sama."

Luke chuckled as he held up a hand, "Please, just call me Luke or Huck. I'm not good with the honorifics."

The woman returned to her seat as the Marine turned to look where they were going, the teacher in black strode up the aisle, stopping next to Saeko who was wiping down her wooden sword. Takashi hadn't noticed him and turned to Khota to express his disbelief of their actions.

"Thank god we did," the teacher spoke up in Japanese, causing the two boys to jump. The teacher looked to Saeko, "I'm assuming you've been appointed leader?"

"There's no such thing," she responded coldly and simply, "we just work together to survive, but if we need one," she paused to gaze at the back of the Marine, "we have a soldier?"

The teacher narrowed his eyes, "That's not good," he declared in a low tone, "in order to survive we definitely need a leader. A leader who bears everything, with valor, with confidence. I'm afraid a simple soldier isn't qualified for the position. An American soldier no less,"

Without turning around Huck spoke, "This American soldier can hear you," he said in Japanese, then turned around and continued in English, "and I know what you really mean. These are your students, they're your responsibility but I think they can handle themselves."

Behind the teacher he saw Rei whisper something to Takashi but his attention was caught by a shout from a student in the back, "The city!"

Everyone stared out the window, taking in what Huck had already seen on his trek to the school. The city was burning. They continued on in silence as Huck dropped into the empty seat next to Saeko, but after the nurse plowed over an undead, a student in the back stood up.

"Shit, it's like I said, it's only dangerous if we keep going," the male said. He was taller than Takashi but still shorter than Huck, the top of his hair was dyed yellow with the sides and back still its natural brown. "First of all, why do we have to go with Komuro and the others? You guys are the ones who decided to go back into the city. Maybe we should have looked for a safe place inside the school or if you ask me we were better off where we were."

"He's right," another smaller student with a black mop of hair interjected, "I kinda agree with Tsunoda, we should barricade ourselves somewh-"

 _Screech!_

The occupants of the bus all lurched forward as Shizukla slammed on the brakes, coming to a skidding halt at an intersection next to a tunnel. She then turned in her seat to stare furiously at the complaining students, "Okay, you all, that's enough!" she shouted in her soft voice, "I can't focus on the driving with all this yelling!"

"Whatever," Tsunoda groaned.

"How about you tell us what you want to do?" Saeko challenged and the kid turned to glare back at her.

"I just can't stand this guy," he stated, pointing a finger at Takashi, "I hate him!"

Everyone tensed up at that but Takashi merely shrugged, "Why? What the hell did I ever do to you?" he asked as he stood up to face him, "I don't even know you,"

With a shout of rage Tsunoda charged and in the blink of an eye Rei was in between them. There was a loud whoosh on the air and a sickening smack as the handle impacted the enraged student's midsection. Bile ejected from his mouth from the impact and he collapsed to the floor of the bus, where he lay coughing and trying to regain his breath.

"Asshole," Rei spat.

Suddenly from the back of the bus a slow clap erupted from the teacher as he strode up the aisle, stepping over the fallen student, "Bravo," he declared, "simply outstanding teamwork. I'm impressed, I commend both of you. At any rate a conflict like that only proves my point, we need a leader. Surely neither of you wants a difficult responsibility on your shoulders."

"Let me guess, you're going to run for the position?" Saya asked sarcastically as she adjusted her glasses.

"I'm a teacher Ms. Takagi. While mature, the rest of you are barely in your teens. Than alone makes it clear whose qualified to assume such a role. I have experience. Why, just moments ago I saved all of these young students. What do you say, guys?"

Two young female students stood up and began clapping for him, with two other male students following suite seconds later. The teacher took a bow at the ovation the spun around to face Takashi's group, "There, it's been decided. The majority seems to have made the choice quite clear, yes?"

"Who the hell is this guy?" Huck whispered to Saeko.

In an equally hushed voice she replied, "That's Koichi Shido, a teacher at Fujimi Academy."

Rei, who had been seething, finally snapped. With spear in hand she strode to the front of the bus, shoved the lever to open the door, and leaped out. The motion caused her skirt to flutter up, giving all a brief view of her white panties.

"Rei!" Takashi cried out.

She whirled on him, "No way, I won't do it," she stated angrily, "I'm not staying here with him."

Shido chose that moment to speak up, "Well there's nothing I can do if you don't want to follow my lead," he said feigning sorrow.

"What are you talking about?" Takash asked as he jumped off as well, ignoring Saya' shout.

"Already giving up on your people?" Huck said, "some leadership."

Shido ignored the jibe and chose instead to watch the interaction going on outside. Takashi had grabbed Rei by the wrist, stopping her from walking away.

"Wait," he pleaded, "get back on the bus, when we get to the city we can get off. I don't want you to leave."

"That's exactly why I told you you would regret this," she declared.

"We'll both regret this."

Before he could continue a honk from the intersection grabbed their attention. Lights intruded the inside of the bus.

"Miss Marikawa, go!" Saeko shouted at the nurse.

A city bus was barreling down the road at full speed. It suddenly collided with a parked car, causing it to capsize. It's momentum carried on and Takashi tackled Rei out of harms way as the bus came to a stop, blocking the mouth of the tunnel while bursting into flame. Huck and Saeko ran out of their bus.

"Takashi, you alright!" Huck cried. Undead figures burst out of the overturned bus and advance on the pair. Saeko readied her weapon while Huck brought up his sidearm.

"I'm fine!" came Komuro's shout over the noise, "The police station. We'll meet up at the East police station."  
"What time?"

"Seven o' clock. If not today, then tomorrow at the same time."

The undead began to collapse as the flames roasted their flesh and, seeing as they were no longer a threat, Huck holstered his weapon. The two returned to the bus and ordered Shizuka to find another route. The bus drove on in silence as the four in the front pondered their predicament. Saeko watched as Huck reloaded his rifle and counted his remaining rounds. When he was finished he removed his tactical vest and laid it across the back of the seat in front of him. A yawn escaped his lips and he realized how long of a day it had been. His heart wrenched as he remembered that morning, how he had lost five of his comrades, including the pilots. He ran his hands over his face as he sunk low in his seat and brought his knees up to prop against the back of the seat, he folded his arms across his stomach and withing moments he was dreaming.


	3. Chapter 3

_7:00 AM, Day 2_

Luke slowly came awake to the sound of cars honking and the teacher, Shido, ranting in the back of the bus. Morning sunlight was coming in through the front window and beating its golden light down on his face. He groaned as he sat up and stretched, reveling in the feeling of his joints popping, his awkward sleeping position had produced many tender areas on his body . He glanced around and saw that Saya was awake already and was sitting silently, and irritated, next to a still snoring Kohta. Looking right, he noticed Saeko was also already awake and watching him stretch. She gave him a brief smile upon eye contact, which he returned.

"How long was I out?" he asked.

"Nearly four hours," she replied.

"Did you sleep at all, or did my snoring keep you up?"

She chuckled at his joke, his snoring was so light it added to the white noise, "I dropped off for a couple hours. Takagi got less than me."

The sound of the teacer's lecture increased in volume and Huck shook his head, "You two up early to pray at the church of Shido?" he asked sarcastically as he scratched his forehead where the brim of his hat sat. In truth, the teacher's constant speech was beginning to sound more and more like a religious figure trying to turn non believers to his side. Just one look at the students listening to his preaching and it was clear he had them in the palm of his hand. The looks of adoration the young females gave him were borderline worship. Both Saya and Saeko just scoffed at his comment, then the former elbowed the sleeper next to her.

"Hirano, wake up," she said.

With a snort he opened his mouth and smiled at the pink haired beauty, "Takagi, good morning. Is it time to get up?"

She leaned away from him with a look of disgust, "Yes it's morning, and you're drooling," she stated.

He simply apologized then cast his gaze outside at the throng of vehicles on the road and people on the sidewalk, "Look at that. I think we'd be better off going to the suburbs."

Of coarse Saya thought differently and didn't miss the opportunity to let them know it, "Cars aren't the only way to get out of here," she declared while pointing to the sky where an airliner was climbing higher and higher.

"The airport on the ocean, you're right," he agreed.

"It's far too dangerous to be in the city. I bet most people are trying to escape to an island or somewhere isolated, where there's a strong military presence."

"Okinawa," Huck confirmed.

Hirano frowned, "But your military isn't there to fight- oh, but there's the self defense forces."

Saya put a hand to her chin in thought, "Hokkaido and Kyushu should be okay too if they handled the situation properly. I'd guess that the planes are headed to one of those locations."

"So, you think we should head that way too?"

"It's too late," she replied, "The areas with heavy military presence may be able to keep 'them' under control, but I'm sure they've already begun to adopt stern policies for letting anyone else in. Before we know it, the whole world will be like that. What would you do if letting in others meant risking letting those things in too? "

"I'd shut myself in," he stated, his mind going to his video games but Saya's next statement broke that revelry.

"And what if the whole world thought that way? What if they tried to keep their community as small as possible to survive?"

"You really are smart, Miss Takagi," he stated.

"What are you talking about? You can already see that in him," she declared thumbing to back at Shido. They both turned in time to catch him caressing a beautiful girl's face, and her seemingly getting ecstasy from every second, "Somehow, I doubt he knows that himself. This happened overnight."

Hirano clutched his nail gun with a scowl and whispered, "Should I stop him?"

Saya sighed, "We _should_ be thinking about how we're going to survive. I need someone I can trust... if only Komuro were here."

"You like Komuro, don't you?" Hirano stated with dejection, turning his gaze back outside.

Saya started at the accusation and her face reddened, "Don't be ridiculous," she nearly shouted. Then, as if sensing their presence, she whirled around to see Saeko and Shizuka standing there watching their interaction "what!" she demanded.

Busujima turned her head to look out the front of the bus, "I am concerned about them," she stated, "I hope we can meet up without incident."

"Kid is tougher than he looks," Huck declared from his seat, "and he'd do anything to protect that girl."

"What do you mean?" Saeko questioned.

"Oh, come on. I was around them less than an hour and even I could tell there was something between them. I thought you girls were supposed to be good at picking up these kinda hints?"

Both Busujima's and Takagi's faces reddened and they turned to hide it. The blond nurse simply smiled at his observation and sat back in the driver's seat. It wasn't long before Saeko sat back down next to the American. The tinkling of metal caught her attention and she looked down to see a piece of metal on a chain hanging from a pocket from the Marine's vest. She pulled it out of the pocket and ran a hand over the cold metal, taking a closer look at the engravings.

"Who's Trout Lawrence, J?" she asked Huck, who glanced at the tags in her hand.

"Lawrence J. Trout," he corrected and his eyes glistened, "he was part of my squad, just a kid really. He was KIA yesterday morning, along with the rest." He slowly reached out and she let the tags pour out of her hand into his. He fell into silence, the only noise coming from Shido's incessant rambling. Thinking about Trout brought up a question he had been meaning to ask, "Uh, no offense is meant but how old are you guys?" he asked the front group.

Saya was the one to answer, "Chubby here and I are sixteen. Miyamoto and Komuro are seventeen. Busujima is eighteen. I don't know about Miss Marikawa."

The nurse glanced at him through the rear view mirror and smiled, "I'm twenty seven."

Saeko looked at Huck, who had fallen silent again, "And you? How old are you?"  
"I'm twenty four," he answered, "not quite the oldest like I thought."

The purple haired beauty shot him a smile at that, "Maybe not," she stated then her expression morphed into one of scrutiny, "but you are the strongest."

Huck turned a puzzled gaze on her, "What?" He asked, though he knew it was likely to be true, it was still a little strange hearing it like that. But she didn't answer, instead she smiled secretively at him and he couldn't help but notice she looked kinda hot when she did. In his mind he mulled over her statement. _Did she mean physically or mentally? Or both?_

The bus fell into silence once more as it inched forward every so often. As the day dragged on, Huck found himself dozing in and out. Being a soldier, he wasn't used to being afforded this much sleep and his body was taking advantage where it could. At one point he came to consciousness and looked around to see if anyone had noticed he dropped off again. Sakeo was still watching outside, Kohta and Saya were conversing under their breaths, and Miss Marikawa was slumped over the steering wheel. All day he had been picking up snippets of Shido's ranting and with nothing else to do he once again tuned into his speech. His eyes widened at what he heard.

"This isn't good," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Saeko asked, turning from the window, suddenly alert. Across the aisle both Saya and Kohta had turned towards him looking alarmed, clearly he had spoke louder than he thought.

Huck nodded to the back, "He's convincing them I don't belong," he stated.

All four listened in and, true enough, Shido was raving about an American not being one of them. He was saying that their survival depended on them being able to trust one another and how an outsider like an American soldier couldn't be trusted.

Saya scoffed, "Pretty soon he'll persuade them into kicking you off the bus," she warned.

Saeko gripped her wooden sword with a scowl and looked into Huck's eyes, "We won't let him," she promised.

The American gave her a smile, "Appreciate it. Though, I'll admit I'd like to see you give him a few whacks with that wooden stick."

"Bokken," she corrected.

Huck merely smiled cheekily at her, "Bless you," he joked.

Suddenly the teacher's voice called out from the back, "May I have everyone's attention?"

Saeko visibly tensed and Huck reached out to clasp her wrist, "I'll handle it," he muttered when she made eye contact. She gave a simple nod of affirmation. The three students and Shizuka turned to look at Shido, but Huck stayed looking forward.

"Could I ask our American friend to stand?" the teacher asked, keeping his voice as polite as he could.

Finally Luke stood, with a sigh, leaving his assault rifle on the seat, and turned to face the speaker, "Can I help you?" he asked, feigning ignorance.

"It is with regret that I have to inform you that your time with us is at an end," he proclaimed, "the students have spoken, and I agree, that having an outsider in our midst brings on more danger than those nasty creatures."

"Would you kindly explain how you came to such a conclusion?" Huck asked, "I'm a soldier, surely you would want someone of my caliber around to protect you from 'nasty creatures'?"

"I'm afraid that your presence frightens the students. You carry assault weapons and speak with such obscene language. As the leader I put forward the idea to remove you, to alleviate their worries. We did put it a vote, this is a democracy after all, but the majority called for your expulsion."

"Majority?" Saya spoke up, "You didn't ask us."

"We already know how you and your friends would vote, Miss Takagi, so we didn't bother wasting our time."

"Excluding a group because you know how they would vote isn't a democracy."

Huck held up a hand to halt anymore arguments, "It's okay, Saya," he declared then turned back to Shido, "you just want me to leave, right?"

The teacher gave him a sinister smile, "I am truly sorry, but yes."

"Okay," Huck replied then stood up to his full height, which was substantially more than anyone else, and took half a step towards Shido, "come make me."

Taken aback by his sudden forwardness, the teacher stammered, "W-what?"

"You're the leader, you've said so many times. So assert your authority, make me leave this bus."

Tension hung thick on the air as the gauntlet was thrown. Would Shido back down from the challenge and lose face in front of his newly acquired following? Or would rise to the challenge and get humiliated and injured by the much larger American? The students in the back held their breath as the teacher stared in disbelief at the abhorrent act of disobedience. Huck spread his arms wide, "I'm waiting," he then spotted Tsunoda visibly seething in his seat and pointed him out, "What about you? You look like you've got something to say." The student in question half-raised out his seat then fell back in it, short agitated grunts escaped his mouth and his face had turned a deep red in fury. "No one? Alright then," Huck turned to the driver, "Miss Marikawa, please continue."

Saeko couldn't quite keep the grin off her face as the American plopped back down in his seat, "That was well done."

Huck beamed back at her, "I know his type. All bark and no bite," he gave a short laugh, "turns out his bark is shit as well."

Saya wasn't smiling though, "He won't forget that."

"I hope he doesn't,"

Unfortunately it wasn't long before Shido had recovered and was back to contaminating the student's minds. Nearly an hour had passed since the showdown and it seemed to have set off a switch inside the teacher as he was acting even more erratic.

"We need to get out of here," Saya said after a while of listening to the haranguing getting more and more intense.

Saeko turned to look back out side for a moment then said, "Given the condition on the road, we may have to get off the bus."

"What?" Huck cut in, "After that display I put on?

"You showed him you weren't under his control," the eighteen year old stated, "you could leave now and say it was your choice. But we have to somehow cross Onbetsu Bridge and get to the east police station, we're supposed to meet up with Komuro there,"

Takagi gave a small grunt as she adjusted her glasses, "You sure are concerned about Komuro, aren't you worried about your own family?"

"Of course I am," Saeko replied, "but I only have my father and he's at a dojo overseas. So all I have to worry about now is my own life and my promise to Komuro. My father taught to always keep my promises."

Miss Marikawa turned to look back at the group, "Where do you all live?"

Saya answered first, "I live in the same area as Komuro, on the other side of Onbetsu Bridge."

"My parents aren't in the neighborhood," Kohta stated, "but I'll go anywhere Takagi goes."

The pink haired girl didn't look to pleased to hear that but Saeko smiled and asked, "Where is your family, Hirano?"

"My father is in Amsterdam buying supplies, since he's a jewel merchant. My mom is a fashion designer and she's been in Paris-"

"You expect us to believe that?" Saya cut him off.

The nurse burst out laughing, "If this were a book your father would be the captain of a cruise liner."

"My grandpa was, and my grandmother was a concert violinist," the young man continued with a laugh.

"Perfect," Saya muttered as she turned her back to them.

After she got her laughter under control, Shizuka turned he attention to the American, "What about your parents, Huckley?"

The merriment of the moment was ruined by his faraway somber look, "Back home in Tucson, Arizona," he said, "nothing I can do for them here." He would like to think that his family were capable of handling things well enough but accidents happen. Depending on the time of the outbreak in America, and how fast it spread, could make all the difference for his family's survival. Most likely his dad would have been at work, he was the head of the maintenance department at a local factory, and his mother would probably be at home. His older brother would have been at work as well, he worked at the same plant as their father and Huck liked to believe they could handle themselves, especially if they were together. His older sister was a nurse at the hospital, meaning she would have the most exposure to the outbreak, with people bringing in their injured loved ones. His two nephews would have been at school and the most vulnerable, they were just in elementary school. How scared they must be and it hurt him to know he was powerless to help.

The nurse continued after a few moments of quiet, "Whatever you guys do, I want to come too. My parents passed away a long time ago, and all my relatives live far away. I know I shouldn't say this, but I really don't like Mr. Shido." she declared causing the three students to laugh.

"So what do we do?" Saeko asked, "I'm not familiar with this area."

"First, we'll check Onbetsu Bridge," Saya started.

"What's going on everyone?" the teacher suddenly interrupted from the back, clearly his confidence was back in full, "We should be working together-"

"No thanks, Mr. Shido," Saya interjected with a smirk, "we have our own plans, and since this isn't a field trip we aren't obligated to stay with you."

Once again Tsunoda was visibly seething but Shido looked as calm as ever, "I see," he breathed while he scanned the group, bringing his fingertips together, "If that's what you want, go ahead, I won't stop you, Ms. Takagi. Japan is a free country after all. However," he stepped froward and licked his lips perversely, "I'm afraid you'll have to stay, Miss Marikawa. Losing the doctor would be a major blow to our current situation. The children are relying on you." He began a slow march up the aisle.

 _Clack!_

A nail had fired from the gun and grazed the teacher's face before sticking into a seat, halting him mid-bus. Kohta stood in front of the nurse, the nail gun leveled at Shido with a look of thunder on his face, "I missed on purpose," he growled and Huck believed him.

The teacher shook with fright as he clasped a hand to his would, "You're not a violent student."

"How many do you think I killed back at school? I could kill you too. You always made fun of me. I put up with it, I put up with it for so long! I put up with it because I just wanted to have a normal life, but I don't need to do that anymore. Nothing is normal anymore." Behind Kohta, Huck had his sidearm out and trained on the teacher as well but he kept quiet and allowed the boy to say his piece, "That's why I can kill, I can kill the living too."

The teacher staggered back towards his people, "H-hirano, you can't-"

"Busujima, you get off first, then the rest. I'll guard the rear," Kohta ordered.

Grinning wide Huck shouted, "Oorah!"

Saeko opened the door to the bus, the wind fluttering her skirt up to reveal her black g-string and shapely buttocks, "What a man you are, Hirano," she called before jumping out. The other two girls followed suite and then Luke tapped Kohta on the shoulder before backing out himself. After Hirano exited they all headed for the stairs leading to an overpass. Once at the top they all stopped to let the adrenaline settle.

The nurse gave Kohta a nervous look, "Would you really have shot him?" she asked tentatively.

"If he wouldn't, I would," Huck interjected, "but that's in the past now. We need to focus on our objective. Saya, you know your way around here, you're on point. I'll be at your seven. Kohta you watch our six." he glanced around at the girls who wore stunned faces, "What?"

"Yes, sir!" Hirano stated, sharply, even coming to attention and saluting.

Still receiving no confirmation from the women Huck sighed, "Saya you're in front," he explained slowly, "I'll be right behind you. Kohta is going to be bringing up the rear."

"I know that!" Saya complained, "I am a genius after all."

The Marine scowled at her, "Then move out!"

She started at his sudden bark and headed off in what he presumed to be the right direction. Just like he said, Huck was at her side, his rifle up and ready as they trotted down the sidewalk. The noise of the road dissipated as they traveled, dropping an eery quiet on them, the only noise being their footsteps. Somewhere far off came a bloodcurdling scream, someone had been caught by 'them'. The group jogged down a street, void of life, littered with empty cars and looted stores. Ahead of the unit an undead stepped out from an alley and the group halted. Huck centered his assault rife sight on it and fired two shots into the chest.

"Aim for the head, stupid!" Takagi chastised him.

Huck bit back a retort and raised his aim before wasting the figure. Two more stepped out from the same alley as the first fell.

"Look out!" Takagi shouted and out of the corner of his eye he saw another rise up from behind a crashed truck.

"Busujima, engage the target by the truck," he ordered, "Hirano, fire on the left one, I've got the right."

The three fighters soon had claimed victory and were getting set to move out when the glass storefront they were standing next to exploded outward as a horde of undead pushed through. Takagi screamed in horror and fell on her behind. Huck brought his rifle to bear on the figure nearest to the fallen girl when black flashed in front of him.

"Takagi!" Kohta yelled as he bolted forward to assist her.

"Kohta, no!" Huck roared, "Hold your- fucking hell!"

To his credit, Hirano's accuracy was near perfect and he had three targets down by the time he reached the damsel in distress. Saeko rushed forward as well, once again disrupting Huck's line of fire. She cleared another two with devasting blows from he bokken before the American readjusted and added his support. Soon all threats had been neutralized and Huck turned on his crew.

"Next time pay attention!" he demanded, turning his glare on all four, "Do NOT cross in front of another's line of fire and do NOT engage until I give the order."

Kohta kept his gaze glued on the cement, Shizuka just looked confused, Saeko was avoiding eye contact as well, and Saya was glaring at him in indignation.

"We are not soldiers!" the pink haired beauty screeched as she pulled herself to her full height and put herself inches from his face.

"That much is obvious," he raged through clenched teeth, "two of you nearly got yourselves _shot_!"

"You can't expect us to know! We don't have your training."

"It's common sense! When you're attacked your immediate reaction should not be to fall down screaming. Next time fall back and let someone capable handle it."

"You're not out leader!" Saya bellowed on the verge of tears, then whirled around and stormed off with Kohta and Shizuka on her heels.

Still boiling, Huck made to yell after her but a soft hand on his forearm restrained him, "She's right," came Saeko's calm voice and she was giving him a look he couldn't quite decipher, "we're not trained to fight like you."

His chest was still heaving but he was able to speak calmly, "I'm not going to just watch you all get killed by stupid mistakes," he declared, "I've already lost too much."

Saeko's mouth curved in slight smile, "I'm not saying we won't be careful, but you need to be patient with them," she said, "they look up to you."

Huck was momentarily taken aback, "They barely know me," he pointed out while staring at the three retreating figures.

"And yet they care about you as much as you do them. Remember what I said, you're the strongest out of us all and we'll be depending your strength, myself included. Don't let us down."

Huck fully turned to Saeko and stared her in the eye "I won't," he promised. Busujima grinned at his words and the two trotted to catch up with the rest. After walking a few blocks in silence, Huck trying to think of how to word his apology, Saya suddenly pointed ahead of them.

"Look!" she shouted and the group followed her arm to see two people standing next to an orange motorbike, "Komuro and Miyamoto."

The two heard the shout and Rei came running at full tilt. She passed everyone and leaped into the nurse's arms with a cry of "Miss Marikawa!"

"I'm glad to see you're okay, Komuro," Saeko said to the boy once he had walked the bike closer to the group.

Takashi beamed at her "You too, Busujima," he replied and behind his back Rei shot the purple haired woman a jealous-laced glare.

Saya cut in, "What about me?"

"Of course, Takagi, I'm glad to see you're alright too. Hirano and Huckley as well."

The group strolled down to the riverside underneath the bridge. The sun was nearly set, casting a calm dark blue over the river. Hirano was obsessing over a snub-nose Smith and Wesson M37 that Takashi had given him.

"We left the bus because the road was blocked," Saeko informed Takashi as they sat around.

Huck scoffed, "Yeah, _that's_ why we left," he stated sarcastically.

"Both bridges are blocked," Komuro declared, ignoring the American's statement, "we'll have to cross the river."

"No good," came Saya's voice from the riverside, "The water has risen too high."

"What now?" Kohta asked.

"I think we need to rest," Shizuka replied, "there's a place nearby that we can use."

"Your boyfriend's?" Huck joked.

The nurse's face reddened and she waved her arms in denial, speaking faster and in a higher octave, "No, nothing like that. It's a friends, she's always traveling for work so she gave me a key so I could go over and clean it."

Suddenly, the image of the busty woman in a skimpy maid's outfit sprang into Huck's mind but Hirano's voice shattered it, "Is it an apartment with a good view?" he asked.

"Yeah," she affirmed, "it's a maisonette just off the river. She also has a car as big as a tank"

"Well, I'm tired," Saya spoke up, "I'd like to have a shower while the electricity is still on."

"Sounds good," Kohta said dreamily while staring at the pink haired woman.

"You perv!" she shouted and made a move to kick him but Huck wrapped an arm around her midsection and pulled her back as Saeko smiled at the interaction.

"I'll go ahead with Miss Marikawa and check it out," Takashi said, throwing a leg over the bike. The nurse eagerly hopped on after giving the others directions and the two sped off with the nurse holding on to the boy too tightly.

Night had fallen completely by the time the rest made it to the apartment where Takashi and Shizuka waited outside the gate. As they entered the motion sensor activated lights came on to reveal the vehicle Marikawa had mentioned.

"That's a military Humvee," Huck stated, "What kinda work does your friend do?"

"I bet those things can't climb this fence," Rei interrupted before the nurse could answer, "we'll be able to sleep peacefully tonight."

Huck's attention was drawn by a racket up above, "We have company," he declared as he spotted five undead at he top of the steps shambling towards the edge, and he could hear more. Huck readied his assault rifle while, behind him, Saya handed Takashi a crowbar to replace the baseball bat he had discarded while away.

Remembering earlier Saeko turned to Huck, "How should we proceed?"

Huck shot her a smile, "Komuro, take point. When we get up the stairs, Komuro will break left and engage, Hirano you cover him. Busujima, you engage any targets at our front, I'll cover you. Miyamoto, you pick off stragglers."

Rei and Takashi looked a bit taken aback by his sudden orders but nonetheless nodded. As they moved out, will Takshi in the lead, Huck briefly thought of his dead comrades. _I won't let that again. I'll do whatever it takes to protect my squad. My friends._

 **While writing this chapter I realized I had been spelling Kohta's name wrong, so I apologize for that. I'll fix the the other chapter when I can be asked. There might still be misspellings in this one too, just out of habit.**


	4. Chapter 4

_11:30 PM End of Day 2_

Darkness had fallen over the infected city. The normal night lights had been extinguished with the only illumination coming from those that left their house lights on. The lights from the blockaded Onbetsu bridge could be seen from miles, as well the noise could be heard from a great distance, drawing a significant number of undead. Inside the apartment of the mysterious friend of Shizuka Marikawa the girls were undressing and readying a hot bath. Being gentlemen, the boys decided to let them have first crack at the facilities with Huck volunteering to do laundry while Kohta and Takashi explored the rooms. From where he stood in front of the washer and dryer, the Marine could hear the news reporter on the television in the other room droning on about the strange 'murder syndrome' spreading throughout the city, and world, at an unchecked rate. The reporter mentioned a couple religious figures and told of scientists abandoning Tokyo before signing off. To keep his thoughts off of home he was trying to immerse himself in his task as much as possible, when a call from the other room got his attention.

"Hey, Huckley, come help us with this will ya?" it was Kohta.

"Comin'," he called back and before he turned to leave he heard a shout of 'they're enormous' from behind the bathroom door and he couldn't quite help the smile spreading across his face. As he entered the master bedroom with a large flat screen television, he spotted his two friends struggling as the pried at a large safe with the crowbar.

"Sounds like they're enjoying themselves," Takashi stated as he paused for breath, indicating with his head towards the bathroom.

"Should we make sure none of 'them' are in there with the girls?" Kohta asked with a mischievous grin.

Huck chuckled, "Go ahead but don't expect us to stop them from beating you to death." He clasped onto the end of the crowbar with the other two and on a three count they pulled with all their might. The lock snapped with a resounding crack, sending the three sprawling. As the three picked themselves up they inspected the innards, finding an assortment of firearms.

"Holy shit," the Marine breathed, "what kind of friend does Shizuka have?"

Hirano practically shoved the other two out of the way to get at the contents, "A Springfield M1A1 Super Match! Only a semi-automatic, though,"

"Um, Hirano?" Takashi prodded the boy.

Huck leaned over, "A twenty round magazine, too" he declared, "isn't this illegal in Japan?"

"What?" Takashi turned to Huck but the Marine and Kohta were in gun nerd mode, the latter exclaiming about another assault rifle while the former was fawning over a crossbow. The odd man out reached in and grabbed a gun that anyone could recognize.

"Ithaca M37 Riot shotgun," Huck stated as Takashi examined it, "the Devil Dogs used them in Vietnam." The boy raised it up to look through the scope, inadvertently aiming at Kohta who flinched away, and Huck quickly pushed the barrel down, "Never point it at someone you're not intending to shoot, even when you think it isn't loaded."

Hirano nodded, "The only ones you can point these at are-"

"'Them'," Takashi finished but in his mind he recalled the other night when Rei was attacked. He had used a gun on a living human then.

A buzzer sounded from another room and Huck dismissed himself to continue laundry, calling dibs on the crossbow as he left. As he reached the laundry room he felt a blast of heat and looked over to see the bathroom door was wide open with steam pouring out. The lights were still on but no one was inside but what caught Huck's attention was an empty wine bottle and three empty glasses with red residue at the bottom of each.

"Oh, no," he muttered as he returned to the washer and emptied all the newly clean clothes into the dryer. Finally he could do his own clothes and he stripped off his pale green and white shirt and tossed it in before peeling off his digital desert cammo pants. Luckily the morning he left the base he hadn't changed out of his blue swishy shorts he usually slept in, instead putting his cammo pants on over them. Blood hadn't seeped through enough to soil them, meaning he had something to wear while his clothes were washing. He added the ingredients and activated the machine when a hiccup sounded behind him, so quite that he almost thought that he had imagined it, and spun around to see Saya leaning up against the door frame wearing a light blue tank top and black running shorts. Her pink hair was wet and hanging down and she was glaring at the American, but he didn't expect any less, it seemed to be her resting look.

"Yes, Miss Takagi?" he asked as she continued her silent stare. When it seemed like she wasn't going to answer he began to turn back to his task when she finally spoke.

"You're a jerk," she declared.

The sudden outburst caused Huck to laugh, "What?"

"Do you enjoy making girls cry?" she asked and he noticed she was slurring her words a bit.

Huck sighed, "How much did you have to drink?  
"Don't change the subject! A glass I think."

"Friggin' lightweight," he muttered.

"You almost made me cry, earlier," she stated as she pushed herself off the frame and staggered forward to put an accusing finger in his face. She suddenly swayed backwards and Huck instinctively grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back up straight, but the pink haired woman overbalanced and stumbled forward into Huck, who caught her underneath her arms. All her strength seemed to leave her and she sagged in his strong grip, nuzzling her head into his chest, clearly enjoying his body warmth in her drunken state.

"Why me?" Huck muttered, he then wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, leaned down, and wrapped his right behind her legs and scooped her up, "Come on, let's get you to bed," he stated then added quietly, "before Kohta sees this and kills me in my sleep."

He carried her bridal style into the living room where Takashi was laying Shizuka down on the floor and covering her with blankets. Huck merely shrugged at the boy when they made eye contact and placed his burden on the black leather couch, the girl was already asleep. He quietly crept from the room to check on the washing machine and dryer. After seeing he had some time he headed for the kitchen, passing the stairway along the way.

Before pushing the kitchen door open a shout of "Takashi!" came from the stairs.

 _And Rei makes three,_ Huck thought, the three wine glasses in the bathroom springing to his mind. He entered the kitchen to find Komuro holding a soda and talking to Saeko.

"Hey, your girlfriend is looking for you," he declared to Takashi.

Komuro's face reddened "She's not my girlfriend."

His statement paused the Marine on his walk to the fridge, "Really? You two act like it. I was certain you two were a thing."

Saeko was listening to the conversation with an amused grin on her face. She too had had thought Rei and Takashi were together, and by the way they acted maybe they were but didn't realize it themselves. She also noted with amusement that Huck hadn't addressed her attire, or lack thereof, as that was the first thing Komuro had noticed. Nothing in the apartment fit her so she wore only an apron to cover her bare breasts and her black g-string to 'cover' her lower half. She knew she should be a little self conscious about being almost naked in front of two boys but she found she didn't mind. She turned to join the conversation and froze at the sight before her. The American was standing shirtless in the middle of the floor, his head turned towards the younger man in conversation. His shorts were sagging under the weight of his sidearm that he had stuffed into the right hip pocket. Saeko knew he would be muscular, his white and green undershirt that he usually wore was rather tight and accentuated his muscles. The way the sleeves tightened and stretched whenever his large humps of biceps flexed and his back muscles visibly rippling through the fabric was pleasing to the eye. But to see it all bare was much different, and much better. His abs rocked as he laughed and breathed. His muscular pecs twitching every now and then when he gestured. Saeko felt her face warm up as she continued to drink in the sight of his appealing body. She had to force herself to look away and concentrate on her task and in her mind she chided herself for such behavior. She thought herself above gawking at hunky boys like a promiscuous schoolgirl. Those self conscious thoughts she hadn't been experiencing suddenly hit her in full and, as much as part of her tried to deny it, she realized she had a crush on the Marine.

"Well, I'm sorry, man," Huck was saying, "it seemed like you guys were a thing. She's into you, I don't know if you know that. My advice; don't let her go. Hell, with the world the way it is now, you should count yourself lucky you've got someone waiting for you." The Marine grabbed a beer and was headed back towards the door when Takashi suddenly called to him.

"What about you? You have someone waiting for you back in America?" he asked, looking to throw the attention to someone else.

Huck froze in the doorway and the letter sprung into mind. The one subject he had been purposely trying to avoid thinking about. He was terrified for her.

 _Why?_ A voice inside of him asked, _She broke it off._

 _I love her,_ another voice reasoned, _she dumped me, but I still love her._

The silence was becoming unbearable for the other two, for entirely different reasons. Takashi thought that maybe he had crossed the line and he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, trying to think of a subject change. Saeko was staring, unseeing, at the pot in front of her, waiting on the response. She didn't fully realize it but she was holding her breath and her heart began pounding painfully as the silence seemed to last an eternity. She _needed_ him toanswer now! She heard his intake of breathe and her heart beat quickened, she noticed she was trembling. She hadn't felt this nervous since her championship match.

"No," Huck said finally and Saeko had to bite her lip to keep the explosive sigh of relief from escaping.

"Oh," Takashi said.

"I thought there was but she... no," he then strode out. Suddenly another shout from Rei echoed through the kitchen and Takashi took off for the stairs. After he had gone Saeko braced herself against the counter and took a couple deep breaths to calm herself. She couldn't quite still the trembling completely and her mind kept replaying his words in her head. The hurt in his voice was... painful, she found. Clearly there was more to this American than met the eye, and now she was determined to figure him out.

After leaving the kitchen Huck had made his way up the stairs and out onto the balcony. He drained his beer in one big chug and tossed the can out into the darkness. The moonlight revealed the streets getting thicker with the presence of undead. A few blocks away he heard the report of a shotgun, then, a few seconds later, screams from the shooter as he had been overrun. Somewhere a dog was barking, a small one by the sound of it. Huck was still in his thoughts so he didn't hear it when the balcony door slid open and someone came out to join him.

"It's just getting worse," Kohta's voice said, then he noticed Huck's hundred yard stare, "Huckley, you okay?"

The Marine didn't answer for a few moments, "Just thinking of home," it was a half truth at least. He turned to face the boy and in the pale light saw the look of concern he was receiving. In that concern was something else. Not quite adoration but close. Then he remembered Busujima's words _._

 _They look up to you, they'll be depending on you for your strength._

"I'm fine, Kohta," he said, trying to put on a definite tone, "just needed some space to plan ahead I guess."

"Plan ahead?"

"Yeah. We're on our own," Huck declared, "my radio's busted so we can't rely on backup from the Marines. It's up to me to get you guys to safety."

"We're a team," Hirano said with a slight smile, "we keep each other safe."

"That's a nice sentiment, but when it comes down to it you're civilians. If worse comes to worse, it'll be up to me to make sure you and the others are safe, no matter what the costs."

"You mean sacrificing yourself?" Kohta sounded disturbed.

"If I have to," Huck declared and turned his stone sober face to the boy, "it's my job as a Marine. Semper Fi."

The door slid open and Takashi, along with Saeko, came out to join them. The latter held a pair of binoculars and she began to scan the street.

"Should we shoot?" Kohta asked, staring at a group of undead kneeling down feasting on an unfortunate victim.

"Obviously!" Takashi declared.

"Have you forgotten 'they' react to sound, Komuro?" Saeko asked, "Also, survivors will come when they see our lights and us standing out here. Even with the guns you found, we can't keep them all alive."

It sounded cold but Huck could see the logic in her words, "It's not right, but that's the way it has to be," he declared with a sigh, "they have to survive on their own, just like us."

"What about your duty as a Marine?" Kohta exploded, "Semper Fi and all that."

"My duty as a Marine extends far enough to keep us safe but no further!" he snapped back through clenched teeth, "I'm just one man. You think I don't want to run out there, guns blazing, to everyone's rescue? I can't. I'll do what it takes to make sure you all survive, I _promise_ you that, but I have to draw the line somewhere."

His piece said, Huck made to follow Saeko back inside. He knew he had let Kohta down somewhat, but the boy needed to learn that chivalry and survival don't often go hand in hand. Both he and the purple haired beauty went back down stairs and into the kitchen, the Marine heading for the fridge for another beer. After opening the can and taking his first gulp, he stood in silence for a moment watching the girl cook. Admittedly he was also admiring the 'view' the apron offered. He certainly appreciated her athletic body.

"You had nothing to wear either, huh?" Huck finally said. She started slightly at his voice erupting the stillness of the room. She didn't turn to face him but the Marine could see her face had gone slightly red. "Speaking of which, the laundry should-"

 _CRACK!_

The unmistakable sound of a high powered rifle firing disrupted his train of thought. Before he could compose himself two more reports sounded off in quick succession.

"The hell are they doing?" Huck growled and he stormed off towards the stairs where he was nearly ran over by Takashi, causing the Marine to drop his beer. The boy was gone before the Marine had a chance to question him. Next Rei came running by and he stopped her, "What's going on?"

"Something wonderful," she declared, "we still understand what it is to be human."

"What? By shooting guns?" he yelled as she disappeared through the door and he couldn't quite help a joke escaping his lips, "but you're not American!"

From outside he heard the two-stroke dual sport bike start up and rev before the engine noise receded into the distance.

Huck re-entered the kitchen and Saeko was packing the food into a container in a rushed manner, "Komuro is going to save a little girl," she explained, "Hirano's gunfire is going to draw a too many of 'them'."

"We have to evacuate," Huck concluded and she nodded. He then fled towards the stairs, stopping halfway where Saya was standing looking alarmed, "Wake the nurse, grab what you can, and get to the Humvee, we are leaving!"

Not bothering to see if the machines had finished their cycles, Huck tore open both doors and raked the clothes into one large bag. He pulled his combats on, ignoring the irritation from the insides rubbing against his sock-less feet. Next he pulled his tactical vest on and snatched up his assault rifle. He ran into the main room where Saya and a still naked Shizuka were loading the other weapons into more bags. He ran to the safe and grabbed the crossbow before going after the girls downstairs with a shout to Hirano to follow. Outside Saeko and Rei waited at the gate. Before signaling for them to open it he loaded a bolt into the crossbow. The gate creaked open but all of 'them' were shambling down the street towards where Takashi had ridden, only a few broke off to investigate Kohta's gunfire. They stepped out into the driveway where a lone undead lagged behind. Huck raised the crossbow to sight on its head and dispatched it. He retrieved the bolt as the others dashed to the Humvee and deposited the bags in the back. After the nurse hastily threw on a white button up shirt and checkered mini-skirt, Huck threw the crossbow in the back and slammed the hatch shut.

"How is Takashi going to get back here?" Rei asked as she eyed the mob.

"We could pick him up," Shizuka offered, holding up the keys for all to see.

Huck refrained from slapping a palm to his face and instead climbed on the back, "He's going to need covering fire," he declared as Kohta came out to join them, wearing a headband with two flashlights on either side of his head, "Hirano, you get in the gunner seat."

The boy nodded and all but Saeko piled in. After Hirano poked up from the hatch, she climbed onto the roof and stood over him.

Huck shook his head, "Not a good idea," he muttered. His point was proven a second later as she nearly toppled backwards when the nurse hit the throttle.

As the vehicle neared Takashi's position they spotted him walking atop the walls that divided the properties with a little girl on his back and a small dog in his hands.

"There's so many of 'them'," Rei cried.

"Plow 'em over!" Huck shouted and he began to fire into the crowd. The Humvee hit the crowd with a tremendous impact that caused Hirano to fall back down the man hole and Saeko to overbalance. Huck reacted quickly and caught the girl by the apron strings and pulled. She fell backwards and he caught her around the waist with one arm. Shizuka slammed on the breaks and slid sideways to a stop. Huck flipped his rifle to fully automatic as Saeko rolled off the roof, landing on her feet, and swiftly dispatched two with her bokken. Huck then peppered the horde with bursts from his MK18. Hirano popped back up through the hole with the shotgun and blew an approaching undead's head clean off. With 'them' being distracted, Takashi hopped on to the roof. As he reloaded Huck noticed Saeko getting further away, killing undead as she went.

"Busujima, fall back!" he ordered and she immediately obeyed. She sprinted back to the Humvee, where Takashi was handing the little girl and dog off down below before lowering in himself. After Saeko hopped back on, Huck tapped the roof, signaling that hey were ready to move out. The vehicle peeled out as the nurse slammed on the gas and they ran over a few undead before they were in the clear. Huck was the last to lower himself down into the Humvee. The girl was sitting up front with Saya and Hirano while Rei sat to Takash's right, Huck on the left, and Saeko on the other side of the Marine. They rode in silence for a minute before Huck slowly broke down into laughter as his adrenaline rush was nearing its peak. Saeko stared aghast at him for a moment before she succumbed to his infectious guffaws. It wasn't long before everyone was in fits of laughter as well. After it died down Huck yawned, his limbs felt heavy. The sound of the little girl introducing herself faded as his eyes drooped lower and lower until they finally shut and the Marine was conked out.


	5. Chapter 5

_8:00 AM Day 3_

Dawn sunlight intruded the military Humvee, filling it with a warming orange glow, as it waded the river. The day started off warmer that the last few and as a result Kohta, Saya, and the little girl, Alice, were sitting out on the roof of the vehicle, enjoying the dawn. The bright morning seemed to have brightened the newest member of the group's mood as she sang _Row, Row, Row Your Boat_ in both Japanese and English, showing off that she was a bright little thing. Kohta certainly was impressed and, with a laugh, he launched into a bloody and violent renditionof the song, after which Saya chastised him for teaching such a song to a child. In the back of the Humvee the four, who had packed themselves in the space meant for two, slept on. Rei was clutching Takashi's arm with her head resting oh his shoulder and she was the first to stir as Shizuka raised her voice to wake them up. She could feel the warmth of Takashi's right arm as it lay wrapped around her, holding her to him and she had to fight the urge to snuggle closer and return to sleep. The first thing the brown haired woman saw when she finally opened her eyes was the boy she cuddled with, she suppressed a chuckle, not wanting to wake Takashi, as he laid with his head back and mouth wide open, still asleep. She let her eyes travel over to the other two occupants of the rear seat and Rei covered her mouth to keep her laughter contained at the sight. Huck was slumped down in his seat with his head lolled to the right, resting on Takashi's upper arm, but what really interested her was how Saeko was sleeping. The kendo club president had, sometime in the night, brought herself up to sit on Huck's lap, her knees bent so her legs folded back across his thighs. Her head was resting on the Marine's left shoulder with her right arm tucked underneath her body while her left draped across the man's chest to rest on his right shoulder. Huck's right arm subconsciously held Saeko's legs in position, keeping them from sliding off onto the floor. Rei gently shook Takashi awake and pointed out the other two once he was coherent. He didn't quite have the restraint that Rei had, and started laughing out loud. His merriment woke Busujima first and she raised her head up, eyes still dazed with sleep. Her mouth was still open and a trail of saliva connected her bottom lip to Huck's shoulder. With a start she suddenly realized the position she was in and hastily push herself off the Marine's lap and back into what little seat was exposed, wiping a hand across her mouth. The movement finally broke Huck from his slumber and with a snort his head popped up.

"Tell the cap'n I'm up," he slurred, his voice thick from having a dry mouth. Then his eyes registered his surroundings and a flash of confusion rippled across his green eyes before he remembered where he was. The laughter from the two on his right got his attention and he turned a puzzled gaze on them but they were too far gone into their cackling to answer his look. He turned to Saeko but she was looking the other way, out the window, and in her reflection he could see her face had gone completely red. His chin rubbed his shoulder as he stretched and he felt a wet spot, so he reached up and rubbed the moisture on his tactical vest, thinking he had drooled on it himself. Then there was a slight bump as the Humvee made land that brought their attention elsewhere.

"Let's get out," Takashi said as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Rei looked to him and asked, "Why?"

"We need to get over the embankment."

Glad to get out of the compact space, all four from the back clambered out as the two older students from the roof slid off to the ground. Takashi reached up to help the pink haired little girl down when she clutched her skirt to her legs. With a scoff Rei took over and ushered the young one around the other side of the vehicle.

"We're going to get changed, don't look over here," she stated as the rest of the women followed.

The little dog that had come with the girl trotted back and forth a few times then let out a series of barks.

"Annoying little shit, aren't you?" Huck stated earning a reproving look from Komuro.

"Hirano says his name's Zeke," he declared.

"Funny, I went to a school with an Ezekial. He was an annoying little shit too."

Kohta walked up with the shotgun, then, and handed it to Takashi while explaining the mechanics of the gun, with Huck throwing in his two cents every now and then.

"I'll just use it like a club," the boy finally said after a while, not understanding most of the terms being thrown at him.

"It's heavy enough," Huck agreed but Kohta didn't look like he did.

Alice's long drawn out call of "Oni-chan," interrupted their conversation and all three turned to gasp in surprise at the girls' new outfits. Rei still wore her school uniform, but had added white fingerless gloves, elbow, and knee pads. She was carrying the M1A1 Super Match rifle with a belt around her waist that carried two extra magazines. Saeko also kept her school shirt but now she wore a short black skirt that was split up the right side, showing off her thigh and even the string of her thong. She also wore thigh length purple lace stockings, female battle boots with heels, and purple gloves. She had a special belt on that held her bokken. Saya had ditched her formal top in favor of a white over coat that she kept zipped up to just under her breasts, exposing her black undershirt. She still kept on the green skirt and her pink hair was now back up into twin pigtails. Shizuka and Alice's attire hadn't changed.

Takashi pointed to the rifle in Rei's hands, "Do you know how to shoot that?"

"Hirano or Huckley can show me how. If not, I can use it as a spear," she replied.

"You can!" Kohta declared and he opened the back hatch of the Humvee and rummaged through one of the bags, "The army puts bayonets on those and we have one." The boy placed the blade on the rifle and Rei held it up to examine it.

A sudden breeze reminded Huck and Takashi that they still needed to get dressed and since the former didn't need to remove any layers, he didn't follow the latter around the Humvee for privacy. He pulled his cammo pants on over his shorts and was in the process of putting on his shirt when he noticed Kohta staring at him with a hand on his chin in thought.

"You know, Kohta, it's kinda creepy getting dressed with you staring at me like that," he declared.

The boy started and his face went slightly pink but he indicated his vest, "What happened to your radio?"

"It broke, I told you that last night," the Marine replied as he got his shirt on and gathered up the tactical vest.

"How?" Hirano pressed.

"That day I met up with you guys I was in a helicopter crash," he stated and the group looked taken aback but he continued, "we had someone on board that was infected, we didn't know it at the time, and he turned mid-flight. He got my sergeant first, he must have gotten the pilot too because we lost control and went down shortly after passing over your school."

Rei gasped at his words then glowered at him, "That was you?" she nearly growled and he nodded, "We saw you go down."

He studied the girl for a moment, puzzled at her sudden change in demeanor, "Yeah, it was real nasty. I don't remember much of it but my radio got smashed in the process," as he spoke he was able to recall bits of the incident, then he suddenly remembered Causey and Trout, "nobody... I was the only one to walk away from it."

Rei's expression didn't change as Takashi came back from changing, "Okay, I'm ready," he stated.

"We should probably make sure the road is clear, first," Huck suggested. Kohta and Takashi agreed and the three jogged up the incline with firearms in hand. They dashed out onto the street, Takashi looking left, Huck looking to the front, and Kohta looking right.

"Clear!" Huck shouted and the other two mimicked his call. In a short time they had the Humvee up on the road. Saya got out binoculars and scanned the river edge and bridge.

"They didn't even try to block the river," she noted.

Saeko stepped up next to her, "From the news it sounds like it's like this everywhere in the world."

"But the police, they'll still be around," Rei spoke in a frantic tone.

Everyone was quiet for a moment then Saya said, "Yeah, the Japan's police forces are very dedicated." Miyamoto quickly agreed with a couple of nods, looking slightly relieved.

"What now?" Shizuka asked and that's when they ran into another problem. Rei, Saya, and Alice all looked to Takashi for his decision while Saeko, Kohta, and Shizuka looked to Huck.

"Your call, Takashi," the Marine stated and his three supporters looked slightly taken aback.

"M-me?" Takashi stuttered, "But you're the Marine."

"These are your people," Huck stated, "and you know this area, I don't."

"I'm not sure I-"

"You've got what it takes, trust me. You won't be in this alone, I'll give you my advice when you need it and in a fight I'll take over but where we go and what we do is up to you."

The boy hesitated for a few moments then nodded, "Okay," he finally agreed then turned to the pink haired girl, "Takagi, your house is in 2-Choome at Higashi Hill, isn't it?" at her nod he continued, "Then your house is the closest, we'll head there first."

With the decision made, everyone, save Takashi and Rei, piled back inside the Humvee while the two climbed to the roof to ride. Shizuka maneuvered the vehicle down the empty road and while the town looked like it had been abandoned in a hurry, there seemed to be no sign of 'them' either. Saeko sat in silence, studying the Marine who was counting his remaining rounds. She waited until the others were engaged in conversation before speaking to Huck in a low tone.

"What made you give up your leadership?" she asked.

Without looking up from his task he replied, "I meant what I said back there. Takashi knows this area, I don't, and he knows all of you better than I."

"Actually, I had never spoken to him before the day 'they' appeared."

Huck shrugged, "Still, he knows Tokonosu, he grew up here. I've only been stationed in Japan for a few years and I've hardly left the base in that time."

They rode in silence for a minute then Saeko inquired, "Is it because of what happened after we left the bus?" she asked.

Huck paused in his task to glance at her, "That may have been part of my decision, yes. I was... wrong to have reacted like I did."

"No you weren't. We made mistakes and we needed to know."

"But I went about teaching you the wrong way," Huck retorted, "I treated you like you were my subordinates instead of what you really are, students. As part of the Marines I went through training being yelled at, I learned by having a man in my face, telling me I was a failure. You and the others have gone through life learning in a safe environment, with a 'try your best' attitude. Even your coaches couldn't hold a candle to a drill sergeant. Reacting how I did only made things worse."

"How so?"

"For starters, I made you guys more hesitant to act," Huck stated.

"Didn't you say to wait for your orders?" she declared.

"Yes, but someone who can't think for themselves is more dangerous to me than an untrained civilian. What I should have said was you need to have better judgment. Running across my line of fire was stupid, BUT at least you guys acted."

"You're not completely right," the purple haired woman stated with a smile, " _I_ have tried harder since your hard lesson."

"Yes, but some didn't take it so well," Huck stated, his mind replaying the night before and his run in with a drunk Takagi, "Kohta is still intimidated by me and Saya has been holding a grudge."

"They'll learn," she said, "they need to."

"Which is why I told Takashi that I'll take control in a fight," he reiterated, "that's my forte. It may be the one thing I'm good at, it's why I have been given control of my squad on multiple ops."

Satisfied with his answer she fell silent and pretty soon Huck had completed his count and was watching the buildings go by. As the Humvee slowed to thread the needle between two abandoned sedans, the Marine called out.

"Whoa, hold up a minute, Shizuka." he ordered and after the vehicle came to a stop, he got out.

"What's the matter?" Takashi asked from the roof, he had the shotgun in hand and he looked alert.

Huck nodded to a nearby building, "Convenience store," he stated, "we could do with a supply run. We left the apartment in such a hurry we didn't have time to grab much."

"We're near my house," Saya said from inside the vehicle, "do you really think it's necessary?"

"You never know," Huck replied, "couldn't hurt to have some extra provisions on hand. What do you think, Takashi? Should we do it?

The others exited the Humvee and waited on Takashi's decision. He studied the storefront and then the street they were on before answering.

"Let's make it quick," he declared and the party assembled by the door. Takashi looked to Huck who was scoping out the inside, "something doesn't feel right so I want this done as fast as possible. How do you think we should do this?"

The Marine grinned, _He's fitting the role quite nicely,_ then said, "We should break up into twos, we can cover more ground that way. Also we should pair the combatants with noncombatants."

Takashi nodded, "Good idea."

Huck was already outlining a plan in his head, "Tell me what you think of these teams," he stated, "Hirano and Alice will take the first two aisles, you and Shizuka take the second two, then Saya and myself will take the last two. Hirano and Alice can take the little yapper too."

"Sounds good, but what about Rei and Busujima?"

"They can hold the door, make sure we have an exit in case we need to leave in a hurry," the Marine glanced at everyone else for confirmation when he noticed Rei scowling at him, "if anyone has issues with the plan, please, say something."

The whole group looked to Rei, whose glower had deepened on being called out, "It's fine," she said sharply. Huck trotted back to the Humvee and switched his rifle for the crossbow. When he got back to the group he put a foot in the stirrup of the weapon and pulled the string back until it locked in place, then he placed a bolt in position.

"I didn't think your military taught you how to use one of those," Kohta stated.

Huck chuckled, "They don't. I bow hunt back home. I'm no good with a traditional bow and arrow, so my parents got me a crossbow for Christmas one year. Some people call it cheating, but I don't care."

"Everyone ready?" Takashi asked and at their nods the three carriers and their escorts entered the shop.

Once they were alone Huck turned his head to Saya, "You have any idea what the hell Rei's problem was back there?" he whispered.

"If I had to guess, I'd say she didn't like you separating her and Komuro," she replied.

"Well I did it for a reason. We're vulnerable in here, I don't need him getting distracted."

"Is that why you didn't team yourself up with Busujima?" she teased with a knowing grin.

Huck's voice caught in his throat and it came out in guttural stammering as he tried to respond, he could feel his face going red.

 _GRRT!_

The pair froze as the sound of scraping metal sounded from the far aisle. Huck glanced to Saya and she nodded. He raised the crossbow and rounded the corner to see a lone undead shuffling the opposite way. The sound came from a fire ax that was caught in the death grip of the thing. Further down the aisle they could see another figure laid out, blood pooled underneath its head from a deep laceration. As the Marine studied the scene he began to put the story together, _He was a survivor who came here for supplies. He was bitten but was able to kill the attacker before succumbing to the infection._ He sighted the crossbow on its head and waited for the figure to stop moving.

 _THWIP!_

The bolt made little noise as it left the track and imbedded into the head of the undead, slaying it instantly. The two moved forward cautiously and Huck pulled the bolt out with a sickening squelch, tissue still stuck to the head of arrow.

The Marine nodded to his kill, "Check his backpack, could have goodies in there," he whispered, then bent to gather the ax, "this ain't a bad weapon."

There was nothing in the backpack and as Saya stood she noticed Huck slinging his crossbow over his shoulder and wielding the ax, "What are you doing?"

"This is quieter than a gun and it doesn't have to reload like my 'bow," he explained.

Accepting this with a roll of her eyes, the pink haired woman continued down the aisle, grabbing what little supplies remained. They were on the way down their second aisle when Huck's face lit up.

"Hell yeah, this is the ticket," he whispered and Saya turned to see him pull a can of sliced peaches off the shelf and examine it, "my favorite."

He dropped the can in his own bag before grabbing the rest, of which there was only three, and placed them in Saya's bag.

Back at the entrance to the store, Saeko and Rei were watching opposite sides of the street. It was all quite with no sign of anyone, living or not. The empty street cast an eery silence on the town, all the noise from the day before was gone. Upon hearing Rei's agitated grunt Saeko turned to see her looking back through the door, her scowl etched firmly on her face.

"If they run into trouble, we'll hear it," the purple haired woman declared, knowing full well that wasn't actually what was bothering her companion.

Rei cast her frown on Saeko at her words, "That's not it," she declared, "I don't know why we had to listen to Huckley's plan."

"What's your problem with it?" Saeko asked.

Rei scoffed and turned away, not answering for a couple of quiet moments, "We shouldn't be splitting up like this." she stated then softly added, "Takashi could have come up with a better plan."

The bokken wielder scowled, "Komuro agreed to Huckley's plan," she declared, "and for good reason, it was a good plan."

Rei turned around with a sneer, "Of course you thought it was a good plan, your perfect boyfriend came up with it, how could it not be good?"

Saeko was stunned into silence by the accusation, her heart jumped and face turned deep red while her mouth moved wordlessly, trying to shoot out a retort, "Huckley isn't my boyfriend," she finally managed.

"But you wish he was, right?" Rei continued her onslaught, "I've seen how you look at him."

"Huckley's- he's an honorable man," Saeko countered while Rei crossed her arms with a winning smirk, "and he's a been a good friend to us all. That doesn't mean I want to-"

"Look what we found!" Shizuka suddenly burst out onto the sidewalk, beaming excitedly and holding up a bag full of fruit. Saya, Hirano, Alice, and Huck exited next with their meager offerings. Takashi followed seconds later and Rei stepped forward and threw her arms around his midsection and snuggled the side of her head into his chest.

Takashi was taken aback for a few moments, then he returned the embrace, "Uh, hey, Rei," he stammered while Huck chuckled, "there wasn't much left in there."

The girl wasn't paying attention to his words, she was shooting Saeko a smug grin, who was answering it with her own glare. Saya, Alice, and Shizuka continued on to the Humvee to offload their loot.

"Pretty much a waste of time," Huck sighed, not noticing the thunder on Saeko's face, "ah well, you live and you learn."

Kohta, surprisingly, had noticed the tension between Busujima and Miyamoto. He looked back and forth at the two, waiting for the storm.

"Uh, Rei, you can let go of me now," Takashi said, starting to become embarrassed by her display of affection.

"I just missed you so much," Rei cooed, hugging him tighter, still staring at Saeko, "I'm just glad to hold you again."

Saeko pivoted on her heel and marched back to the Humvee with Kohta quickly following. Huck took one last look around then strolled back to the vehicle, Takashi and Rei following shortly.

Once again they were on the move, the Humvee's engine giving off the only noise as it rumbled slowly down the street. Huck and Saeko sat in the back once again, with Alice in between them playing with Zeke. The Marine now could feel the tension radiating off the purple haired woman as Saeko stared at seat in front of her, ignoring all conversation around her. Her mind raged with turmoil, she wanted to say Rei was wrong but knew that would be a blatant lie. How obvious had she been? Had everyone else picked up on her infatuation with the American? She stole a secret glance at the Marine, who was fidgeting with his hat again. Oh, how badly she wanted him to know but at the same time he had never shown much interest in her, which scared and hurt her the most. Any woman would be lucky to have Huckley as their own. He was smart, strong, funny, and kind. The thought of him with another woman sent a flash of possessive jealousy rippling through her body. Then, Saeko remembered his words back at the apartment when Takashi had asked him about his love life in America. He had said he didn't have anyone back home but at the same time, her female intuition told her that he was hurting. She so badly wanted to be the one to ease his pain, but the niggling of doubt at the back of her mind kept her silent.  
Unknown to her, Huck had been stealing glances at her too. She was being uncharacteristically silent and his concern for her was starting to win over. He wondered if he had upset her by not asking her opinion back there. Once that thought entered his mind he couldn't shake it. Huck hated when he got like this, it was a part of his insecurity. He would become more and more irrational with his fear, to the point where his heart would be racing painfully in his chest. Though he felt his emotions were a little justified this time as Saeko was one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met. He enjoyed their little conversations and he didn't want them to end. He wasn't blind to the way she acted around Takashi. He had speculated, on first meeting the group, that she liked Komuro and now he found he didn't like that, in fact it even hurt a little but then he had to remind himself of his position. He was a Marine and six years older than her. She was a high school student and, while eighteen, would obviously go for someone closer to her age. His only hope laid in Takashi going for Rei over Saeko, but he didn't cling too tightly to that possibility. The pair were constantly arguing and it was only a matter of time before the boy sought comfort elsewhere. Still, he would like to remain friends with Busujima if at all possible.

After a few blocks Huck finally nudged her lightly with an elbow, "You alright?" he asked as casually as possible.

"I'm-"

"It's 'them'!" Shizuka shouted. Their worries momentarily forgotten, Saeko and Huck leaned to look out the front window and saw the street littered with the undead.

"Where the hell did they come from?" Huck asked.

"The closer we get to my house, the more of 'them' there are," Saya declared and she was right. The further they traveled, the more packed the streets became.

The Humvee shook as it impacted the bodies and Alice covered her face and began to cry in fright. Huck scooped the girl onto his lap and rocked her while stroking her head.

"Stop!" Rei shouted from above.

"What?" Shizuka yelped but complied by slamming on the brakes.

"There's wires stretched out across the road up ahead."

The Humvee's tires locked up and they slid sideways to a stop, just inches from the wires. A few undead were caught in between and they were cleanly cut into three. The nurse hit the gas but the tires just spun.

"Why isn't it moving?" Shizuka cried.

Takashi's voice came from above, "We're stuck on 'their' bodies!"

The vehicle's engine was attracting a horde of undead, they seemed to appear out of nowhere and soon the way they had come was completely blocked off by 'them'. The tires finally gripped and the Humvee shot forward before Shizuka panicked and hit the brakes. There was a flash of white and loud thump as Rei hit the cement in front of them, thrown from the roof by the sudden stop. The undead began to advance upon the fallen girl. Huck slid the girl off his lap and fumbled for his rifle as Rei lay unmoving, letting out short groans from being winded. The Marine kicked the door open just as Takashi jumped down from the roof to take aim on the nearest walker.

 _BOOM!_

The boy stumbled back from the kick of the gun and gasped in surprise as the shot missed completely.

"What the hell? I aimed at his head! That hardly did anything!" he declared.

Kohta popped up from the man hole, "The recoil will make you aim higher than where you point it," he explained, "pay attention to the recoil and aim for the chest!"

Takashi repeated his instructions and fired again, this time the blast took a chunk out of the undead's shoulder.

Huck put it down then said, "You're flinching in anticipation of the recoil. Hold it firmly but don't tense up!"

Takashi nodded, took aim on, another and fired, this time the walker's head disappeared in a spray of brain tissue and bone fragments.

"There's too many," Takshi declared as he pumped the shotgun, expelled the spent shell, and fired again, scoring another kill.

Seeing that the boy was getting the gist of it, Huck knelt and focused his own fire. Due to the awkward gait of the undead, a few of his rounds sailed by harmlessly but he was able to down four pretty quickly. There was a flash of purple off to his left as Saeko joined the fray, dealing devastating blows with her bokken.

The Marine stood as one got too close and popped its noggin, "Come on you son of a bitch!" he growled at another that was advancing, arms outstretched, then sent a bullet ripping through its skull, "Come on!"

"Hirano, how do I use this one?" Takashi called and Huck glanced over to see him laying across Rei with her M1A1 in his hands and her breasts caught in the straps. He turned his focus back on the mob as Kohta shouted instructions.

From inside the Humvee, Alice's cries echoed down the block and they sent Huck into a rage. He barely noticed Takagi exiting the Humvee and grabbing the fallen shotgun. He flipped the switch on his rifle to full auto. He passed Saeko, who was staggering back, having lost her bokken while escaping the clutches of 'them'.

"Dinner's served!" Huck roared as he peppered the masses, then he made for the sidewalk, "this way, come and get it!"

"Huckley, what are you doing?" Kohta shouted.

"Shut up! I'm leading them away. Hold your fire, let them follow me!"

"Everybody get down!" a new voice shouted.

 _THOOMP!_

Several undead were tossed by a sudden blast of high pressured water. A figure dressed in firefighter's attire stepped over the wire as three more men appeared and let off their payload as well.

"This way, you can thank me once you're safe behind the car!" a females voice declared.

Kohta, with Alice and Zeke in his arms, jumped off the roof of the Humvee to the other side of the wire. One of the firemen assisted Rei over the barrier, where she latched on to Takashi. Once Saeko had helped Shizuka and Saya over she jumped the wire and turned back to the American.

"Lucas, come on!" she called.

Huck bashed the skull in of an undead with the but of his rifle before sprinting back towards the Humvee. As he approached he stepped up onto the hood of the vehicle and launched himself over the barrier, rolling on impact and coming back up to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Saeko asked, not being able to resist the urge to get close to inspect him.

"Yeah," he stated breathlessly, "none of 'em got me. How about you?" he indicated a rip in her shirt.

"I lost my bokken but I am unhurt." she explained. The rest of the group dissolved into adrenaline fueled laughter as Saeko bowed to the female firefighter, "Thank you kindly for rescuing us in our time of need."

"Of course," the female replied as she started to remove her helmet, "I wanted to help my daughter and her friends."

Long purple hair dropped as the helmet left her head revealing a beautiful women with a narrow face and slender nose.

"Mama!" shouted Saya with tears in her eyes and she threw herself into the woman's arms, who hugged her tightly back.

The rest of the group smiled happily for the reunited family. The other firefighters stood by with the group's bags in hands, waiting to escort them to Takagi estate. As the group moved out Saeko cast a longing look back at the horde, not happy that her trusty bokken lay somewhere out there. She turned at the a strong hand on her shoulder.

"You'll find a replacement," Huck stated when she faced him, then he glanced back at the retreating party, "things are starting to look up."

Saeko gave him a smile and followed her the rest of the group with Huck following her. The significance of what she called out to him earlier hadn't gone unnoticed to Huck. He had gotten used to Saeko calling everyone by their last name out of respect. One thought replayed in his mind throughout the trek up to Takagi's house.

 _She called me Lucas_


	6. Chapter 6

_7:00 AM Day 4_

The dawn was chilly but bright, deep orange stretched across the sky. Birds were singing their morning tunes, giving off a peaceful atmosphere. Huck was on his third lap of the property by now, the morning's beauty lost on him as he was deep in thought. The evening before saw them on a tour of the magnificent house. _More like mansion_ , Huck thought. He was able to finally shave and Shizuka even shaved his head back into the traditional military style cut. After getting settled in and showered, most of the party had turned in for the night, but for some unexplained reason Huck's sense of responsibility kicked in and he stayed up an extra hour, cleaning his weapons and gear before doing a perimeter check. The wall was secure, too tall for 'them' to climb, and the gate was sealed with two guards posted throughout the night. There were a few tents set up along one edge of the property that housed other survivors, some of which glared at him until he continued his patrol. By the time he headed to bed every step felt heavy and his eyes almost refused to stay open. Just before switching out the light in the room he shared with Takashi and Kohta, he heard cries from an adjacent room where Alice and Shizuka slept. It sounded like the little girl had awoken from a nightmare. He swung himself back out of bed and was nearly to the door when he heard the nurse's voice attempting to soothe the poor girl. He woke earlier than most, crept out of the room to avoid disturbing the other two, and headed out onto the lawn to try and clear his thoughts. He was still thinking of yesterday when Saeko had called out to him while he was fighting off 'them'. _Lucas, she said Lucas,_ even on base he only ever got Huckley, Huck, or Lance Corporal. One of the last times he had heard his first name being used was at the airport in Tucson, while in the embrace of a woman. He was told to be safe and to call her as soon as he landed in Japan.

 _Ashley,_ thought Huck and her image appeared in his mind. Ashley Hill was short and petite, only five foot and four inches tall, she weighed maybe one hundred and ten pounds. She had red blond hair that flowed freely down to the middle of her back and bangs that ended just above her sky blue eyes. Huck remembered when he first met the woman. He was at a barbecue hosted by a Marine from his unit, who happened to live nearby. His Marine friend introduced Huck to a cousin, Ashley, and the two hit it off. By nightfall she was sitting on his lap, laughing at his stories as they all sat around a bonfire. Before long she was calling him 'Lukey', a pet name he had hated all of his life but when it came from her, he tolerated it. His thoughts then turned to the outbreak and he wondered how she was faring. He fervently hoped she was alive and well, maybe even under the protection of his own family.

 _Why?_ A cynical part of him wondered, _she was done with you. Besides, there's always Miss Busujima._ Just the mere thought of the purple haired woman sent butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Still lost in thought, Huck nearly ran over a person that was standing in the garden, gazing at the trees blowing in the wind. He stopped short, his eyes having caught the purple of their hair before colliding. His heart leapt as, for a moment, he thought it was Saeko, but then the figure turned around to reveal Saya's mother, Yuriko. The only term Huck could think of to describe the woman was MILF, as crude as that was. She was taller than the students he was traveling with and just centimeters taller than Shizuka. Her hair was a deep purple that matched her caring eyes. She had a slim figure that was accentuated by a tight fitting red dress that ended just above her knees and she carried a long white piece of clothe that was draped along her body and around her arms. Huck decided that Yuriko might be the second most gorgeous women he had ever met. _Must have a thing for the purple hair_ , he thought.

She turned and smiled upon seeing the Marine, "Good morning, Huckley-kun."

He nodded and returned the greeting, without the honorific as he didn't know which one to use, while awkwardly adjusting his pants that were constantly sagging under the weight of his sidearm.

"You look troubled," she stated and her smile formed into a concerned frown.

Huck chuckled, "Can you blame me?" he stated, "With how things are now, I'd be little more worried about the ones who aren't troubled.

She didn't buy his weak cover and her face morphed again into a studying gaze, "What's bothering you?" she asked, but it felt more like a demand. Her stance and facial expression were a little confronting, it didn't look like she was going to let him go without an answer.

"To be honest," he declared with a sigh, "I'm thinking of home. I'm on the other side of the damn world. I have no idea if my family is alive or not. I can't even contact my CO or anyone from the Marines."

"I'm sorry, it must be hard," Yuriko said softly and her brow furrowed in a sympathetic frown.

All the frustrations and fears that he had been holding in from the past few days suddenly came pouring out at her motherly concern, "Being a Marine, I'm used to being away from home, but _NOW_ of all times?" he tried to fight back the tears that were beginning to burn in his eyes, "I'm stuck in a foreign country with a bunch of strangers, most of them I can't understand and _none_ of them trust me. I'm playing chaperone to a bunch of fucking kids and even they don't fully trust me either!"

Yuriko put a hand on his shoulder, "You've gotten them this far. I am grateful for that."

Huck clenched his eyes shut tight, attempting to stem the flow of tears as they began to flow down his cheeks, "They expect me to have all the answers, because I'm a soldier, to fix all their god damn problems! That's all they see in me, I'm just a tool for them to use. Not once have they asked me if I'm fine, if I need help. You're the only one who's given a shit!"

Without another word the woman wrapped him in a comforting hug. After a few moments they split and Huck rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his palms, his face a deep red of embarrassment.

"Thanks." he stated and she nodded.

"It's quite understandable." she declared.

"Could you do me a favor and not tell anyone what I said?"

"Of course," she agreed and she strode off towards the mini pond to.

The Marine made his way back towards the house, but before reaching the door he caught sight of two men dressed in Army BDUs, complete with bulletproof vests, down by the tents. Huck's spirits jumped as he quickly walked down there, but then the two turned and, with a groan of dismay, Huck saw they were Japanese civilians. One had long brown hair and a mustache, the other had slicked black hair and a clean face. With a sudden rippling of anger, Huck marched up to the two.

"Where did you get this gear?" he demanded in Japanese.

"Take it easy, man, finders keepers," the mustachioed man declared.

"Where did you get the gear?" Huck repeated, "I won't ask again."

The black haired man put up a placating hand, "We found it on a couple of dead American soldiers. A truck crashed into their vehicle and killed them. We were trying to salvage as much as possible but there were too many of those freaks."

"We left so much good equipment behind," complained the other one, "a big gun, fuel, a radio-"

"Radio?" Huck interrupted with a sudden interest.

"Yeah, a big radio from their car. We didn't have time to grab it."

"Where was this wreck?"

The man indicated off to the east, "A few miles that way, near the theater."

"How long would it take it get there?" Huck inquired.

"It used to be about a twenty minute drive, but with the city all fucked up it'll take most of the day."

The American took his leave then and strolled back up to the house. _That radio is my ticket out of here_ , Huck thought. After entering the mansion, he made his way through the sitting room and was about to head upstairs when another person entered the room from the kitchen. Huck did a double take as he realized it was Saeko. She was dressed in what was called a kimono that was dark blue patterned with light blue, yellow, and purple rectangles. The robe was tied off with a black sash, adorned with yellow flowers, high on the waist. The Marine was absolutely stunned by the look, he never thought much of the traditional garb before, but Saeko made it work.

"Good morning, Huckley," she declared after a moment, her face going red from his gawking.

Huck's face reddened as well, "Oh, uh, morning," he stammered, "you look good, it suits you."

Saeko started at his compliment, her face blazing, "Thank you," she stated, "you look nice in your new clothes as well."

Huck glanced down at himself with a grunt of disagreement. He was wearing white slacks and a blue v-neck. From the kitchen the sound of feet slapping on the tile sounded and Alice burst in just in time to catch Saeko grinning at Huck, who was still studying his attire.

"What's going on?" Alica asked, "Why are you smiling at Lucas-chan?" Saeko's blush returned in full at the child's observation.

Huck saved her from further embarrassment, "We were talking about how glad we are that you're doing well, Alice."

The child readily agreed with a grin just as Saya appeared with Kohta in tow, "We need to talk," was all she said as she led the way up stairs and into a room where Rei was laying on her front. The brown haired woman was naked with a towel draped over her to give her some decency. She weakly complained at the intrusion but Shizuka reminded her that she couldn't be up. Before they could begin, the door to the room opened and Yuriko strode in.

"What do you want now, mama?" Saya demanded sharply.

"I've got news for Huckley-kun," she said, ignoring her daughters attitude and turning to the Marine, "we just got word that your military is pulling out of Japan."  
"What?" Huck exploded, "Why?"

"Your Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines are being called back to America. They have given out orders for all personnel to return to their bases to begin evacuation. I thought you should know"

With her message delivered the woman took her leave. The Marine stood in silence at the center of attention, realizing that the radio just became all that more important.

Finally Shizuka spoke up as she peeled a banana, "What did you want to talk about?" she asked Saya.

The pink haired girl looked out the window as she answered, "The next time you set out, I don't think I should go."

"But why?" Shizuka asked around a mouthful of fruit.

"Look around! If you still don't get it then I revoke your right to call me by my first name!"

"You mean the streets?" Takashi declared then took the binoculars offered by Kohta, "It's gotten worse, it's a whole other world. Your dad is handling this well, you mom is amazing, too."

Saya scoffed to try and cover a sniffle, "Yeah, they're amazing. They have a lot to be proud of, but if they can do that much, then..."

Takashi put a hand on her shoulder, "Takagi-"

"Call be by my first name!"

"You shouldn't think bad of your parents, especially considering how things are right now. It's rough for everyone."

"That sounds like something my mom would say," Saya accused, "I know, I know. My parents are the best! Even when something unexpected happened, they took action right away and protected their mansion and staff. Of course it's not like they forgot about their only daughter! She's the apple of their eyes!"  
"Takagi, that's going too far," Takashi said.

Saya didn't even try to hide the tears streaming down her face as she whirled on them, "As expected they're really amazing! I shouldn't expect anything less from my papa and mama. They didn't think I survived so they gave up immediately!"

"Stop it, Saya!" Takashi shouted as he lifted her by the front of her shirt, drawing gasps from the onlookers and Huck even took an instinctive step forward, but Komuro continued, "It's not just you, we're all having a rough time! No, actually you know your parents are okay, so you're even better off!"

"Okay, I get it. Let go of me, please," once she was on her feet she adjusted her glasses to avoid eye contact with anyone.

The group fell into silence, letting the tension smooth out. Then Huck spoke.

"I was talking to some guys out there. They said they found a radio in a wreckage a few miles from here. If we can get to it I can contact the military, but I'll probably need help getting it," he explained.

"Why should we help you?" came the scathing remark from Rei. Everyone turned to her and she aimed a scowl at the American, "You didn't help us."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Huck inquired, dumbfounded, "I've been helping ever since I've met you guys."

"That morning at school," she stated, "we needed your help, but you flew right over us. Why should we help you when you ignored us?"

"We had orders."

"You could have picked us up! You could have saved His..." she fell silent and turned her head away from the group, tears forming in her eyes.

Huck noticed Takashi tense up but ignored him as he pointed an accusing finger at Rei, "You said you saw us go down. We couldn't even save ourselves, I lost five brothers in that crash, how the hell could we have saved you?" he declared.

"And now, your military is abandoning us," she turned back towards them, her anger rejuvenated, "if you find that radio you're just going to leave us to fend for ourselves."

"Or I could get us all evacuated!" Huck shot back.

"Your military won't help us. They're too busy helping themselves."

Huck's hands clenched in anger, the urge to throttle the girl was rising, "I will do what I can for you guys, I already promised you that, but our first and foremost concern is always the United States. You have your own Self Defense Forces to help. Your military hasn't sent aid to America or anywhere else! You're angry at me for something your own people are doing! So if you want to throw bad looks somewhere, throw 'em at a mirror!" without waiting on a response he stormed out.

 _Fuck 'em, I'll go get that radio myself,_ Huck's mind raged. He stomped down the stairs and threw open the door to the outside, the garage where there weapons were being stashed was his target. He was halfway there when he noticed a group of people gathered in a circle. In the center stood a lone man next to a cage that held an undead. The man was every inch a leader, from his strong sharp jaw to his steel orange eyes. He was tall, Huck estimated the man to be as tall as him, but the man was much more muscular. His voice was loud and commanding, despite the Marine not understanding what he was saying from this distance. Huck didn't notice the man's katana until he drew it as an aide freed the undead from its cage, then in one swift movement he swung down with the blade and effortlessly beheaded the undead man. The crowd stood aghast at the display but the man looked past them to a high point above Huck. Then suddenly the man's gaze locked on Huck's and Huck nearly stood at attention on instinct. They stared each other down for a moment, then an aide popped up in front of the man and his attention was drawn away.

"That's my husband," a soft voice spoke from behind him, causing the Marine to jump a little, "Souichiro Takagi."

A thought clicked in his head at that information, "Saya's got his eyes," he said.

Yuriko chuckled, "She's also got some of his attitude. I'm sorry, but I overheard your argument with Miyamoto-san. I wanted you to know, I don't blame your military for leaving."

"Thank you. Sometimes it's hard to explain our methods to civilians."

Sudden commotion from the side of the house grabbed their attention. It sounded like another heated argument but one of the voices sent Huck sprinting.

"No! I'm borrowing these and besides, there's no one here that can use these as well as I can!" came Kohta's distressed voice.

Huck rounded the corner just as a man pounced on Hirano, pushing him to the dirt. The boy had most of the guns in his arms, clenching them protectively to his chest. He was surrounded by two others.

His attacker raised a fist, "You little brat, we're asking you nicely. Stop being selfish!"

"Get off of him!" Huck shouted as he marched towards them, his blood already boiling. His mind briefly went back to the moments before they left the bus. The boy was bullied in school and now it was happening here. One of the onlookers stepped in front of the Marine, trying to stall him, but Huck simply pushed him aside..

"He won't share his guns," complained the attacker, then he noticed it was Huck, "screw you American! Stay outta this!"

 _Click-clack!_

The attacker turned to stare down the barrel of Huck's .45. The Marine growled through clenched teeth, "Get. Off. Him. NOW!"

"What's all this commotion about!"

Huck slightly flinched at the booming voice, but he held his ground and kept the man attacking his friend at gunpoint. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Saya's father marching up with Yuriko and an aide right behind him.

"D-don Takagi!" one of the onlookers stammered.

The Don first glared at the Marine, "Lower your weapon!"

"Get off of my friend, last warning," Huck stated, ignoring Souichiro.

The attacker slowly got up and stepped back with his hands held up while Huck tracked him with the pistol. Only when the man was at a safe distance did the Marine lower his weapon and flick the safety back on before storing it back in his pocket.

"These punk kids think those guns are their toys," the one who was attacking Kohta stated with contempt in his voice.

"Fuck you," Huck shot back. He was vaguely aware of Takashi's arrival with Alice in tow.

"You little-"

"Quiet!" the Don demanded, then he studied Huck and Hirano, "Tell me your names, boys."

"Boys?" Huck scoffed with raised eyebrows, "I'm Lance Corporal Lucas Huckley of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, United States Marine Corps."

"K-kohta Hirano, Fujima High School, Second Year, Class B, Attendance number thirty two." Kohta stated quickly, the stress was getting to him as tears were starting to stream down his face.

"Do not speak so boldly," Souichiro declared, "that I myself had to come here is proof enough that you have caused a good deal of trouble."

Yuriko placed an arm on Souichiro's forearm and indicated Kohta, "Dear, this boy is-"

"I know he is from _her_ class. Why will you not hand over the guns?"

"My guns are my lifeline," Huck explained, "what kind of soldier would I be if I allowed civilians to disarm me. If you try to take my guns the only thing you'll get comes at muzzle velocity."

The Don shifted his gaze to the younger of the two, "And you?"

"No! No! Without guns I... I'll go back to what I was," Hirano sobbed, "I'm done with the old me! I thought I'd finally found something I was good at!"

"Such as?" Souichiro inquired.

"Protecting your daughter!" Takashi shouted as he stepped up to the Don, while Alice dropped next to Kohta and hugged him tight as she shot Souichiro a glare.

"K-ko-muro," Kohta gasped."

"Komuro... I see. I have heard of you, you've known Saya a long time."

"Yes sir, but since all of this started Saya's been... your daughter has been under the protection of Hirano here." Takashi declared.

"I thought the American was protecting her?" the Don asked, still glaring down at the boys.

"We all have been," Huck bit back, "but Kohta more than the rest of us. He's the most capable. He's a better shot than a six year Marine veteran, what does that tell you?"

Souichiro went silent in contemplation as, behind him, Yuriko grinned at the three that were standing up to him. Suddenly, Rei and Shizuka ambled up, the former releasing her grip on the nurse and latching onto Takashi, who supporter her with an arm around the waist.

Yuriko got her husband's attention, "Even I can see how much courage he has," the woman stated.

"And so can I, papa!" came Saya's voice as she trotted up with Saeko on her heels, "He may be a freak and a worthless gun otaku, but it's because of him that I'm here. He's one of my companions. He's been protecting me, unlike you, papa!"

Despite the harsh description of Kohta, Huck was grinning at Saya's words, as was her mother. Suddenly an aide rushed up and whispered a message in the Don's ear, who then nodded and turned back to the group.

"Saya, I have a task for you," he began, "there are some protestors here at our estate. I want you to go talk to them,"

"Why should I do that?" asked Saya.

"If you speak with them, my daughter, I will know you are not a fool!"

"Saya, your mother is asking you as well," Yuriko spoke up, "those people would be too careful about what they say if your father or I were to go."

"I-I'll go with her!" Kohta stated boldly as he stood.

"I'll go, too!" Takashi declared.

Rei was next, "Me too!"

Shizuka stopped her, "You can't. We have to put more of that ointment on now," she said then took off after Rei, who tried to flee with a shout of dismay.

Saeko giggled before turning to Saya, "I'll accompany you as well."

"No," Souichiro said, "I would like to speak to you, daughter of Busujima- sensei."

Takashi tapped Huck on the shoulder, "What about you, Huckley, you coming?"

"No," he said flatly. Takashi was so sure of the opposite answer that he was slightly taken aback, then Huck said, "I was around there last night, they don't like me. Going with you now would only make things worse."

The boy nodded, then followed his friends towards the tented community while Huck headed back to the garage. Upon entry he found that his rifle was still stripped down, indicating Hirano was still cleaning it. The Marine sighed as he realized he forgot to tell the boy that he had already cleaned it. _That's fine,_ Huck thought, _since_ _I'm going out on my own, I'll need a quieter weapon._ At the end of the bench sat the crossbow with a freshly waxed string. He quickly changed out of the civvies and back into his BDU, reveling in the freshly cleaned feel. He contemplated bringing the vest as he didn't need it for magazine storage, he could just store his pistol magazines in his pant's pockets, and it would be extra weight. He concluded that he wouldn't need it and left it set where he was. He threw on a navy blue zip up hooded jacket on, since today was the coldest it had been in a while, and slung his backpack over both shoulders, then hung the crossbow on his left. He then headed inside to grab bottled water and some light provisions. He peeked into the kitchen and saw that there was an older lady in there preparing lunch so he waited. It was nearly ten minutes before the women finished and exited through another door. Opening the fridge he tossed a bottle of water and a can of peaches into his bag before leaving again. As he strode out the house and towards the gate he saw Saya and the others retreating towards the back of the house, the pink haired woman looked angry.

"Trying to sneak away?" Saeko's voice sounded from behind him, "You're going to get the radio, aren't you?"

Huck whirled to see she had changed out of her kimono and back into her battle uniform. There was a scabbard and katana at her waist.

"You're not coming with me," Huck stated definitely.

She simply smirked at him, "Do you know where it is?"

"I know the direction, that's all I need. This is too dangerous for anyone else."

"I can handle myself," she countered, "you've seen how I can fight."

"Yeah, I've seen how you get carried away and run off without anyone covering you," Huck said sharply, causing her smirk to disappear, "you told me that you're bettering yourself because of me, but time and time again you charge into the fray without backup." He knew it sounded harsh but the thought of her getting hurt sent his mind into overdrive. He continued to walk towards the gate.

Suddenly Saeko darted around in front of him, all hints of amusement gone from her face, "Teach me," she simply said.

"When I get back," Huck agreed, "for now stay here with the others."

She sidestepped to block him as he tried to pass, "I won't learn without experience," she argued.

"This is going to be too dangerous, even for someone like you," he explained then juked around her.

"Dangerous enough that you'll need backup?" she asked from behind, pausing him in his tracks.

Dammit, now she was using his words against him, "Saeko," he began, then turned towards her, letting her see the concern in his eyes, "I won't risk your life like this. Not for a simple radio"

"Let me help," she demanded, nearly begging, in low tone as she came closer and now he could see the concern in her eyes, "please."

"Fine," Huck relented with a sigh, "but we move quickly and keep your head on a swivel, we watch each other's backs, it's a long walk."

Saeko nodded and they both strode down to and out the gate, back into the city. They passed the wire barricade that they got stuck at the night before, all of 'them' were gone. The two trotted down an empty road, passing looted stores and wrecked vehicles.

After a few blocks Huck whispered to Saeko, "I didn't tell anyone where I was going," he stated.

"That's okay, I told Marikawa," she replied.

"Really? She didn't try to stop you?" he asked.

"No, she told me to be safe," she responded, "she was giggling a lot too. Strange, right?"

Huck felt the beginnings of a blush appear on his face, "What exactly did you say to her?"

"I said, 'Huckley and I are going out. We'll be going into town and won't be back until late', why?"

Huck's blush intensified, "No reason," he lied. _Now the nurse thinks were headed out here on a date, which means everyone will hear about it._ Not that he minded the thought of him taking such a gorgeous women out, it just wasn't the right time.

"Where exactly are we going?" Saeko asked.

"Theater," he replied, "there should be a wrecked military vehicle there, my guess is a Humvee."

After a minute of silence Saeko turned her head to him, "So, anything you want to talk about to pass the time?"  
"Hmm, since you guys, mostly Kohta, like to grill me about my life," he stated with a grin, "I guess I'll return the favor.

"Go ahead."

"You an only child?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned your father once, is there a mother?"

"My mother died when I was too little to remember her," she replied.

"Oh, sorry," he said, then bit the bullet, "got a boyfriend?"

She stumbled, "N-no."

"Really?" he asked, slightly surprised, "That's shocking."  
"There was a boy I liked," she admitted and Huck's heart jumped, "but..."

"He got bit?" Huck asked.

"No, well, he might have. He never knew I liked him," she declared.

"Oh, yeah, I know how that goes," he declared and at her hurt face he dropped it.

They continued on in silence, and by the time the theater's massive sign came into view the sun was getting low in the sky, turning it a deep orange.

"Shit," breathed Huck, "I may have misjudged the time a bit."

"There!" Saeko pointed at the front of the theater where a large box truck and a Humvee were smashed together. They jogged to the vehicle, keeping an eye out for 'them'.

Huck glanced to the roof the Humvee, where a mounted gun sat, and whistled, "Fifty cal, too bad we can't bring that with us. Hirano would have a heart attack. Alright, keep a look out while I take a peek inside."

She nodded and Huck got to work removing some of the shrapnel and rubble blocking the driver side door. After clearing the blockage he glanced inside and jumped back when he came face to face with a corpse. The driver had been killed in the crash, his head lolled back and empty eyes stared out into the sky. Huck cursed and set about removing the body, respectfully laying it on the pavement. Once he was back inside he smiled as he spotted the radio resting on the passengers seat. He brought it out and set it on the ground before playing with the dials.

"It's dead," he declared after getting no response from the device, "no surprise there, I guess. It's been sitting here for a few days." He jammed the radio into his backpack and was about to check back inside the vehicle when Saeko's voice called to him.

"Huckley," she hissed and he turned around to see seven undead ambling out from behind the box truck. She drew her katana and got into a readied stance as Huck swung his crossbow around and quickly loaded it.

"Go for the gap, only cut the ones that matter," he instructed, "go."

They took off into a run with Saeko out in front with her blade held to the side. As they neared the pack she swung the sword and one fell, decapitated. Without pausing she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Huck had gotten through. Up ahead three more were limping their way and the two swung wide right, this time Huck booted one hard in the chest and it flew back a few feet before landing on the trunk of a red sedan. The sudden impact set the car's alarm off, the siren echoing down the street.

"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me!" Huck growled. Loud moans rent then air as mobs of the undead came pouring out of the alleys and cross streets. The two skidded to a halt as their way forward was quickly cut off. They turned but found the way back was no good either.

"What now?" Saeko asked over the groans.

Huck's eyes darted around until it came to rest on the door of a large apartment building, "This way!" he shouted as he sprinted towards the door, Saeko hot on his heels. As he approached he turned and side kicked the door. The force of the blow snapped the lock and broke the top hinge and the two rushed inside. A snarl off to his left warned him of an attack and he ducked low, letting the momentum of the undead's lunge work against it and the thing tumbled before Huck continued sprinting down the hall. Saeko vaulted the undead man and followed. They came to a t-shaped intersection and Huck took a quick look both ways before deciding to go left. At the end of the hall was a lone window and as he reached it Huck covered his head and dove through it. He landed with a thud outside, then rolled to his feet as Saeko came flying out as well. They were in an alley and at one end a horde was rushing them. They hauled ass to the opposite end and exploded out onto another street that was littered with 'them'. The two sprinted across the road to the sidewalk, letting the line of cars block them from the mob. They passed a red car and a glint caught Huck's eye. He stopped and looked into the vehicle to see the keys dangling in the ignition.

"Get in!" he shouted as he opened the door and climbed inside. The car was a red Honda S2000, which meant it was a tight fit for Huck. Internally he begged the car to start as he reached for the keys and pushed in the clutch. The car started easily and Huck jammed it into first and dumped the clutch, causing the wheels to spin before catching. Despite the wheel being on the wrong side for Huck, he found it wasn't too difficult to drive. He weaved in between obstacles and couldn't help but grin at the roar of the aftermarket exhaust every time he goosed it. The sports car took turns with ease and accelerated nicely, all the while shifting more smoothly than Huck had ever felt.

"I wish I could take this all the way back to Takagi's house, but I don't want to lure all of 'them' there too," Huck stated.

"There's a park nearby that we can ditch it in," Saeko informed. Following her directions, they made it into the park in no time and he stopped next to a fountain.

"I have an idea," he declared and he opened the door and snatched up a large rock. He placed the car in neutral and set the rock partly on the gas, letting the revs build up without redlining it.

"Good idea," Saeko stated as she exited the car. Already a number of 'them' were appearing, lured by the loud exhaust.

"Clear us a path, Saeko," Huck orderd.

"Yes, sir," she confirmed and she chose a direction with the least amount of undead in it. She took two down with swift chops before charging a third.

"Get 'em!" Huck cheered as he sighted his crossbow on one and dispatched it. He retrieved the bolt and looked up to see Saeko had stopped mid swing, "What are you doing?" he shouted as a group of undead children were nearly on top of her. He pulled out his sidearm and hit the safety to 'off' as he ran up next her. The child was close enough that he placed the barrel to its head and executed it. He then grabbed the woman by the hand and pulled her along as he sprinted away. The sound of the engine revving faded as he neared the edge of the park, where he came upon a clearing where a shrine was. He sprinted up to it and slowly opened the door with his handgun out in front of him. After seeing it was clear he grabbed Saeko's hand again and pulled her inside before closing and sealing the door behind him. There was a singular door off to one side and with his M1911 at the ready, he went to inspect it as Saeko sank to the ground. The door lead to a smaller room that looked like it used to be lived in. A single blanket on a twin sized mattress sat in the corner. Grabbing the mattress he brought it out and set it down next to Saeko who climbed onto it. He dropped to his knees next to her on the mattress and lit a candle that he set on the floor away from the mattress.

"It's too dangerous to travel at night," Huck explained as he rummaged in his backpack and brought out a can of peaches, "we'll stay here until morning. I could see Takagi's place from here, so we aren't too far away," using his multi-tool he opened the can and dumped a few pieces of the fruit out onto his hand before giving the can to Saeko, "eat," he demanded. She slowly ate the peaches, still staring a the floor.

After half an hour of silence Huck spoke, "Saeko, what happened back there?" he asked, "was it the children?"

"No, that wasn't it," she stated, "You asked me earlier if there was a guy I liked."

Huck's face turned pink, "Oh, I was just-"

"It's fine," she said, "I'm just like any girl, I like boys, too. But like I said, I never told him how I felt. I didn't think I had the right to tell him."

"Of course you had the right," Huck exclaimed, secretly glad she hadn't.

Saeko shook her head at him, "Four years ago I was walking alone at night and was attacked by a man," she explained, "I had my bokken so I was able to defend myself. I broke his shoulder blade and femur. Given the circumstances, the police sent me home."

"I have no sympathy for men like that," Huck declared, "you did right by me."

"I liked it," she suddenly barked, "it made me feel good to make him suffer. After realizing I had the upper hand he became frightened and it was so inviting. I attacked without hesitation! I liked it, it was exhilarating. That's the real me, that's what Saeko Busujima is really like. I get crazy when I have the upper hand and pretend to have the heart and soul of a young girl. How could someone like that deserve love?"

Huck suddenly grasped her shoulder and she gasped in surprised as she looked up at him, "Listen, you don't go six years in the Marines, killing and maiming, without being a little fucked up," he whispered. There was a moments pause, then he suddenly pressed his lips to hers. He broke contact and brought his head back as he sat back on his legs. They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment then Saeko brought her hands up to cradle his face and initiated the kiss. This time their lips mashed together with more intensity while Huck wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and the left around her waist then pulled her to him and up on his lap, she wrapped her arms around his neck. The broke apart again, breathing heavily. Huck only gave her a second to breath before his lips were back on hers with a rising passion. Her legs were folded beneath her on the floor, and on either side on Huck's legs, so she squeezed his waist with her thighs, wanting as much contact as possible. Huck groaned into the kiss as he could feel his groin swelling. He broke the kiss and leaned down to her neck but paused. _No, don't go too far so soon,_ he chided himself. He felt a shiver ripple through Saeko's body as she felt the heat of his breath on her neck.

"Lucas," she gasped and he hugged her tightly.

"Saeko," he whispered back as, realizing they weren't going any further, she rested her head on his shoulder. He slowly lowered them until they were laying down, Saeko on top of him and him using the backpack as a pillow. He slowly and lightly rubbed up and down on her back with his right hand and soon she was asleep. Content, warm, and holding the women he had been falling in love with, it wasn't long before Huck joined her in sleep.


End file.
